Britons crash out in European Championship semi-finals

Nathan Robertson and Jenny Wallwork will face the face second seeds in the semis

Robertson and Wallwork were outplayed in the third game

Britain's Nathan Robertson and Jenny Wallwork were big-name casualties as all five remaining Britons lost their European Championship semi-finals.

The mixed doubles third seeds were beaten 21-18 18-21 21-9 by Polish second seeds Robert Mateusiak and Nadiezda Kostiuczyk in Manchester.

Mariana Agathangelou and Heather Olver went out 21-18 21-13 to top seeds Petya Nedelcheva and Anastasia Russkikh.

Rajiv Ouseph lost his singles semi-final 21-14 22-20 to Jan Jorgensen.

For the second time in the 42-year history of the event, Britain now has no representative in any of the five disciplines on finals day.

However, Robertson and Wallwork's bronze marks the first major medal that they have won since they teamed up in 2008.

"We lost to a better pair. They are one of the world's best," he said.

Wallwork, who joined forces with Robertson following the retirement of Gail Emms, was disappointed they could not maintain the form that saw them dominate the second game.

"We fought back towards the end of the second and that was probably our best spell of the match," the Leeds-based player said.

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"Unfortunately we didn't get the start we wanted in the third and they were just a bit better than us."

Robertson incurred a warning for misconduct as frustration got the better of him in the third game.

He said: "I don't mind showing my emotions, sometimes it is better to get them out - so I just destroyed one of the shuttles."

Jersey player Agathangelou and Olver of Sussex stunned third seeds Laura Choinet and Weny Rasidi to reach the last four but found the Bulgarian-Russian combination too strong.

The unseeded British pair led for most of the first half of the second game but the loss of five successive points turned the match against them.

Olver said: "We played some of our best badminton today.

"We were a bit worried playing against them because we have seen them play some really good matches but we were up there with them.

"It was a shame we couldn't get the first game and then it got away from us."

Fourth seed Ouseph led 15-10 in the second game of his semi-final but Jorgensen clawed back the deficit and won on his second match point, setting up a final with fellow Dane Peter Gade.

Londoner Ouseph said: "That was quite a tough match. Jan played pretty well and forced me to make a few mistakes that wouldn't have cropped up earlier in the week.

"I could possibly have won the second but he raised his game and pushed me out of it."

Peter Gade went on to win his fifth men's singles title as Denmark dominated the final day of the tournament.

He beat compatriot Jan Jorgensen 21-14 21-11 in Sunday's final.

Tine Rasmussen added the European women's singles title to her second All England crown by beating Juliane Schenk of Germany 21-19 14-21 21-18.

World champions Thomas Laybourn and Kamilla Rytter Juhl beat Polish second seeds Robert Mateusiak and Nadiezda Kostiuczyk 21-19 18-21 21-12 to win the mixed doubles.