Cumbrian badminton star Lauren Smith made a winning start in the Tokyo Olympics.

Smith and mixed doubles partner Marcus Ellis claimed an excellent opening victory in the group stage.

A strong display saw the Team GB pair see off French duo Delphine Delrue and Thom Gicquel in straight sets.

In the Group B contest in Musashino Forest Sport Plaza, Smith and Ellis took the first set 21-18 before prevailing 21-17 in the second set.

That sealed the best-of-three encounter as Longtown star Smith, 29, got off to a successful start in her second Games.

Smith, though, suffered defeat later in the day with partner Chloe Birch in the women's doubles.

They went down in straight sets to highly-fancied Japanese pair Yuki Furushima and Sayaka Hirota, 21-13, 21-14.

Smith and Ellis return to mixed doubles action against Canadians Joshua Hurlburt-Yu and Josephine Wu tomorrow.