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"I've gone from a short blonde to a tall brunette!" he has said describing the change from 31-year-old Gail Emms to 21-year-old Wallwork.

Equally delighted is Robertson's new partner – Wallwork vowing to bring aggression and ambition as the pair bid for glory come London 2012.
As far as household badminton names go, Nathan Robertson takes some topping.

Long before Team GB's Beijing brilliance, he and Emms captured the public imagination with an Olympic silver medal four years ago in Athens.

The duo then took gold at the World Championships in Madrid two years later and there were hopes of more success in Beijing only for the pair to bow out in the quarter-finals.

It proved the ultimate exit for Emms who retired after Beijing and Robertson was left seeking a new partner.

Step forward Garforth's Wallwork – Robertson has been impressed with the 21-year-old who first represented England aged 12 and has a host of international successes under her belt.

The former Garforth Community College student is regarded as one of the country's hottest young talents and is ranked world number 33 in ladies doubles with her partner Suzanne Rayappan.

Delighted at her appointment, Wallwork has the ultimate pedigree with both her parents highly successful badminton players.

Wallwork's mum Jill played for England twice in the 1980s while her coaching father Brian tasted European success by winning over-55s men's singles and mixed doubles titles at the European Senior Championships.

Unsurprisingly, one Wallwork objective is to bring badminton more into the national spotlight.

And with one of her main characteristics being aggression – the ambitious right-hander is vowing to fight tooth and nail to make 'Robertson and Wallwork' the new household name.

"I'm a very competitive person and when I get on the court I'm quite aggressive," said Wallwork.

"Nathan is pretty laid back when he plays whereas I am quite aggressive, like Gail was, and I think it's going to work quite well as a pairing. I think nowadays you need to kind of get into people to win games sometimes – you don't necessarily have to be better than someone – you just need to be feisty and really aggressive.

"We've got some big tournaments coming up so I'm really looking forward to it."

Wallwork is already a winner of the Dutch and Scottish Opens and a quarter-finalist at the Chinese Open and her fighting spirit and determination have been essential factors in achieving those successes.
Now she is determined to achieve another goal in raising the profile of badminton as a sport.

"I think it would be brilliant if we could get some more media," said Wallwork, who moved to Garforth aged three months old.

"I think it has got better over the last few years since Nathan and Gail got the silver in Athens but it would be brilliant if we could raise the profile a bit more.

"I think success is probably the main thing that will help and just covering the big tournaments that we've got coming up like the Europeans next February just to show people that it's not a slow sport.
"It's one of the quickest sports in the world but people get the wrong idea about it."

Being paired with Robertson gives Wallwork the perfect opportunity to improve badminton's profile as nothing will raise the public's eyebrows more than a new look duo roaring to international glory.

Wallwork recalled the day when she learned of her appointment and her sheer delight.

"He called me to go round to his house for a chat and little did I know he was going to ask me!" said Wallwork. "Obviously I was very excited about it.

"I was just really pleased – obviously I knew Gail was retiring and I was kind of thinking and hoping that he'd ask me and so I was just really pleased.

"There were a few girls but he said he'd chosen me before he went to the Olympics – he spoke to his coaches about it but they said the decision was a 100 per cent down to him.

"It's a dream come true.

"I told my mum and dad straight away as soon as I found out – as soon as I left Nathan's house and they were thrilled about it, really happy.
"They've been very supportive.

"I am really excited about it, it's a brilliant opportunity and we've got some big tournaments coming up."

London 2012 is unquestionably the new look duo's principal aim where Wallwork will hope the pair secure the kind of backing that Robertson and Emms received in the last two Olympics. However, there's no easing into the new partnership and only last week the pair got their first taste of competitive action at the Danish Open in Odense.

The duo began with a bang in defeating experienced Chinese pair Xu Chen and Pan Pan but then lost to another British duo in Robert Blair – Wallwork's former partner – and Imogen Bankier.

Wallwork and Robertson were also in action at this week's French Open in Paris. Wallwork knows the next 12 months are crucial in cementing a solid partnership. "It's a really big year next year and obviously everything is leading up to 2012 so we have got a lot of hard work to do," she said.

"We need to get to know each other on court and get to know each other's styles."

Topping the list of next year's priorities are the European Championships held in Liverpool next February.

Wallwork knows a home victory would be the perfect confidence booster but in terms of 'home' events nothing can surpass the prospect of London 2012.

An excited Wallwork admits everything points towards that ultimate goal in four years' time.

"The Olympics has always been a dream of mine and to be able to play in front of your own home crowd would be absolutely brilliant," she said. "I'm definitely hoping we can get there.

"We definitely fancy our chances and we've just got to work towards it now and do well in the next few tournaments."