Elgin plays host to Highland Open Championships as badminton players travel from across Scotland to compete at Moray Sports Centre
Moray Sports Centre in Elgin recently played host to badminton players from across Scotland for the Highland Open Championships.
Matches were played over a full weekend earlier this month, with the first day focusing on the doubles competitions.
There were 21 pairs entering the men’s doubles, and 10 pairs in the women’s competition.
The men’s side of the draw was hotly contested, with several matches going right to the wire and only being decided by the slimmest possible two-point margin.
However, the duos reaching the semi finals were top seeds Thomas Calder and Mark Mackay; number two seeds Andrew Reid and Matthew Reid; fourth seeds Peter Sawkins and Cameron Strachan; and unseeded Ganesh Balaji and Siddhartha Singh.
It was the latter who sprung a surprise against Calder and Mackay in one semi final, winning 24-22, 21-19.
The other semi final saw Sawkins and Strachan prevail 21-8, 21-16; and the number four seeds would go on to claim the title by winning the final 21-14, 21-13.
The consolation final pitted father and son duo Ross and Sam Groundwater against Warren Anderson and Jordon Edgar, with the latter winning 21-12, 21-12.
The women’s doubles competition followed a slightly different format, with two groups of five seeing the winners and runners-up progressing into the semi finals, and everyone else dropping into a consolation tournament.
That meant the top two seeds: Emma Donald and Gemma Foulis, and Jody Groundwater and Rebecca Reid; went up against each other in one semi final.
It ended up being top seeds Donald and Foulis who secured a comeback victory 23-25, 21-13, 21-9.
Up against them in the final were Sophie Ford and Ella Haime, who saw off Shona Mackay and Chloe Makenzie 8-21, 23-21, 21-13.
There was to be no upset in the final though, as Donald and Foulis registered a 23-21, 21-13 triumph.
The consolation final was played between Carole Begg and Louise Campbell, and Shona Ruesch and Joanne Wesley, with the latter coming out on top 22-20, 21-14.
Rounding off day one was a mixed doubles competition, where 21 pairings entered.
Top seeds Mark and Shona Mackay made it to the semi finals, where they defeated Thomas Fragell and Disha Nandish 21-11, 21-16.
The other semi final saw Andrew Reid and Jody Groundwater defeat Thomas Calder and Ella Haime 21-14, 21-17.
They could not prevent the Mackays winning the final, though, with the final score being 21-16, 22-20.
The consolation semi finals pitted Cameron Strachan and Emma Donald against Drew Leslie and Aimee Keith, with the former winning 21-15, 21-11.
In the other half of the draw, Peter Sawkins and Sophie Barrie saw off Gary Nicolson and Gemma Foulis 21-8, 21-11.
An epic final eventually saw Sawkins and Barrie celebrating again, winning 21-13, 19-21 and 21-18.
Day two of the Highland Open Championships focused on the singles competitions, with 27 men and 14 women taking part.
The men’s competition saw the top four seeds occupy the semi final berths, with top seed Mark Mackay defeating number three seed Benedict Tan 21-19, 24-22.
Second seed Ganesh Balaji would then set up a battle of the top players by seeing off fourth seed Thomas Fragell 21-14, 21-15.
Although the tournament had followed the seedings all the way through, it was then Balaji who claimed the top prize in the final, winning 21-8, 21-18.
Duncan Grant won the consolation tournament, defeating Gary Nicolson 21-8, 21-18.
The women’s draw followed a similar pattern to the men’s, with the top four seeds all progressing into the semi finals.
Top seed Sophie Ford was upset in the final four by number three seed Jody Groundwater, 21-19, 21-17.
There was no such surprise in the second semi final, where number two seed Amy Craig defeated fourth seed Ella Haime 21-17, 21-9.
In a dramatic final, it was Craig who came out on top, coming from behind after losing the first set 21-12 to claim the next two 21-13, 21-16 respectively.
The consolation final saw Disha Nandish win 21-17, 21-19 against Leona Rhind.
Organisers commented: “A massive thank you to everyone that took part, a great weekend of badminton with some tremendous matches over the course of the two days.
“Thanks also to all at the Moray Sports Centre for hosting, and thank you to those who helped on the day in various ways and to those who donated raffle prizes and helped run the raffle, much appreciated by the Highland Badminton Group.”
