Six-time Tasmanian champion Rowan Henderson leads a pack of hungry competitors as the state's badminton titles hit Launceston this weekend.
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Overcoming illness which plagued his Southern Tasmanian invitational tournament earlier this month, the standard-bearer of Tasmanian badminton faces stiff competition from close rivals and young prodigies.
Multiple-tournament winner Dylan Monks has emerged as Henderson's main competition this season after representing Tasmania for the first time earlier this year.
The 25-year-old is the no.2 seed for the titles and out to win his first state championships with previous winner Will Ponsonby on the road to recovery after being plagued with injury and Chris Barker a dangerous threat.
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The sole Northern representative in the open draw, two-time NTBA singles champion Josh Partridge is also out to cause an upset, having pushed Monks in his Hobart tournament victory.
Devonport's Meg Graham and Hobart's Leesa Grundy look set to meet in yet another tournament final with the state's two best players creating a stranglehold on the trophy.
Either Graham or Grundy have picked up five of the last seven state titles with only visits from South Australia's Talia Saunders in 2012-13 preventing complete domination.
The rivals will then combine in an attempt to take home the doubles once again with Hobart combination Jenny Badger and Maria Shelverton providing their strongest competition.
On the men's side, Henderson and North-West team-mate Brent Munday have only been defeated once in tournament play this season by Ponsonby and regular partner Sam Burnett, who isn't playing in the weekend's championships.
Barker and Stephen Gale are out to step up to the plate and knock the favourites off their perch, having pushed them to their limits several times.
A triple-crown could once again be on Graham's horizon as she teams up with Fijian national coach Munday in the mixed doubles, an event they have won together for the last three years.
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