HUDDERSFIELD badminton ace Marcus Ellis is confident he can banish the memories of a tough few months by taking a giant leap towards London 2012 qualification at the Yonex BWF World Championships which start today.

The 21-year-old from Bolster Moor was feeling bullish about his Olympic hopes when he and partner Peter Mills fought their way into the world’s top 20 earlier this year.

However, disaster struck when Mills was forced to have a spell on the treatment table, a setback Ellis is first to admit left the pair with an uphill battle to be in the capital next year.

With Mills now back fighting fit, Ellis and Co couldn’t wish for a better chance for immediate redemption with the World Championships on home soil offering crucial qualification points.

And despite his recent setback Ellis is feeling optimistic about his hopes this week and onwards to the showpiece event next summer.

“I think the preparation for the World Championships has gone really well,” said Ellis – a former Colne Valley High School pupil.

“My partner has been injured but we’ve still managed to qualify, and we’ve definitely got a really good chance – we’ve been playing really well recently.

“My chances for the World Championships are good. In the doubles with Peter Mills I think the competition is a bit stronger, it’s a lot harder to do well in, but we’ve been doing really well and I’m not frightened of taking on anyone in particular really.

“I think our qualification for 2012 took a massive setback a couple of months ago when Peter got injured.

“We were top 20 in the world at that point, which is where we want to be going into Olympic qualifying year.

“We’ve dropped quite a bit because we haven’t been playing but we’ve still got the next year, up until next May, for me and Peter to do really well.

“I’m still young, I’m only 21, so I’d love to qualify for London, I really really would. It’d mean the world to me, not only just for any Olympics, but in London it’d be a massive honour, but you don’t want to put too much pressure on yourself by thinking about it all the time. I just need to go in to competitions and do the best I can.”

Ellis will also contest the mixed doubles this week at London’s 2012 badminton venue Wembley Arena – in what will be an unofficial test event for the Games.

And while the men’s doubles tops his to-do list, Ellis is not ruling out a positive outing for him and newly-reunited mixed doubles partner Heather Olver.

“I’ve only recently started playing mixed doubles again, which I’ve got a wildcard for and have a really good chance.

“I did play with Heather a couple of years ago and we got split up, so we do know each other very well and we’ve been playing very well so we’ve got a really good chance.

“There are pairs that are going to be really tough to beat but I don’t think that there’s anyone that we’re scared of playing.”

Tickets for the Yonex BWF World Badminton Championships are extremely affordable, with tickets starting from only £10 per person visit www.badminton2011.co.uk or call 0208 782 5629