Ouseph digs in to begin World Championships with a win

ENGLAND'S Rajiv Ouseph was forced to fight tooth and nail before finally getting his World Championships campaign off to a winning start in Paris.

SCRAPPING THROUGH: Rajiv Ouseph is forced to dig deep to get his World Championships campaign off to a winning start (Getty Images)

Ouseph, the world number 17, had to dig deep to see off Dutch number two Eric Pang, eventually chalking up a 21-19, 15-21, 23-11 victory over the world number 36.

The three-time English national champion, who recently collected the US Open title, required four match points before finally holding his nerve to take the final set 23-21.

That has earned Ouseph a place in the last 32 and a possible clash against 11th seed Jan O Jorgensen, the Dane who beat him in the European Championships semi-finals in Manchester in April.

Andy Wood, recently appointed as Great Britain head coach with a view to the London 2012 Olympics, said: "It was great to get the team off to a flying start. Rajiv competed really well when it really mattered at the end of the first and third games.

"This was his first World Championships and the heat in the arena and practice hall has been extremely draining.

"We are boosted by the fact that he managed to tough it out and get this victory to add to the confidence gained by winning the US Open title recently."

There was also a winning start for England pair Jenny Wallwork and Gabby White in the women's doubles.

The world number 20 duo defeated Canada's Milaine Cloutier and Valerie St Jacques 21-3, 21-14 to earn a potential second-round match with tenth seeds Petya Nedelcheva of Bulgaria and Anastasia Russkikh of Russia.