Readers were urging on a North Cumbrian badminton player after she made a winning start in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games.

Lauren Smith, from Longtown, and her mixed doubles partner, Marcus Ellis have recently stormed into the Olympic badminton quarter finals after a convincing win over Thailand pair Sapsiree Taerattaachai and Dechapol Puavaranukroh.

The pair won by two sets, winning 21-12 and 21-19.

Lauren and Marcus have had an excellent run in the competition so far, taking their group by storm and beating Japanese pair Yuki Furushima and Sayaka Hirota, who were tipped to go far, 21-13, 21-14.

Speaking after the game that saw the mixed pair into the quarter finals, Lauren said the win was “definitely up there as a win in both our careers” and that it made a “big difference going into the next round”.

Smith – competing in her second Olympics – and Ellis have kept alive the dream of emulating Athens 2004 stars Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms as Team GB Olympic medallists.

They have also seen off French pair, Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue, and Canada’s Joshua Hurlburt-Yu and Josephine Wu in their Olympic journey so far.

Smith was back on court on July 26 with Chloe Birch for a must-win women’s doubles game.

The pair lost to Indonesia’s Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu, but this has left Smith to focus on the upcoming mixed doubles quarter final against Hong Kong pair Tse Ying Suet and Tang Chun Man.

Here’s what you the readers had to say.

Sandra Callander echoed the voices of Cumbrian’s everywhere when she gave her message of support for Lauren.

She said: “Good luck Lauren!

"You can do it.”

Robert N Paula Evans was also vocal in his support for the duo, adding: “Good luck.”

Smith and Ellis will take to the court again for their must-win game on Wednesday July 28 at 03.40am UK time.

No one does more to support our Olympic and Paralympic athletes than National Lottery players, who raise around £36 million each week for good causes including grassroots and elite sport.

Discover the positive impact playing the National Lottery has at http://www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk and get involved by using the hashtags: #TNLAthletes #MakeAmazingHappen.