Badminton: Nathan's tough test in opener.

NATHAN Robertson will find himself the centre of attention as he and his new mixed doubles partner are given a serious test this week.

Robertson is well known in Britain for winning Olympic silver alongside Gail Emms in Athens in 2004.

That partnership came to an end when Emms retired last year and now Robertson, 31, is looking to build a successful new relationship with 22-year-old Jenny Wallwork.

Robertson has ambitions of winning gold at London 2012 and the pair, unseeded, will hope to show their credentials at the All-England Open Championships, which begin at the NIA today.

"When you start a new partnership after eight years of playing with someone else you have to start everything all over again," said Robertson, who won the All-England title with Emms in 2005.

"We are quite good friends now and the more hours we spend on court together, the more we'll get to know each other's games."

To impress in Birmingham, however, Robertson will have to see off his friend and men's doubles partner Anthony Clark in the first round. It will be a tough challenge with Clark and partner Donna Kellogg seeded fourth after winning the European Championship title. The match will be one of the highlights of tomorrow's programme after the event gets under way with the qualifying rounds today.

Five pairings with home interest will hope to join the likes of Robertson and Wallwork in the main draw, including Austrian Open winners Robert Adcock and Heather Olver.

Rajiv Ouseph and Carl Baxter will hope to join Andrew Smith in the men's singles first round while Sarah Walker and Jill Pittard hope to win through in the women's.

Elizabeth Cann and Scotland's Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Susan Hughes already have places in the first round proper.