Contrasting fortunes for Scots in Belgium and Estonia

A mixed day in international competition saw contrasting fortunes with some good results for Scotland’s senior internationalists in Belgium but results in Estonia more disappointing.

At the Belgian International in Leuven, Adam Hall and Julie MacPherson continued their fine form and scored an easy first round win over Michael Roe and Jessica Hopton before upsetting Danish second seeds Mikkel Mikkelsen and Mai Surrow 17-21 21-13 21-14 to reach the quarter-finals.

The result means the pair, who have only recently started playing mixed together again, have at least matched their achievements in Barcelona two weeks ago.

Speaking afterwards Hall said: “We’re really happy with how we played today. It’s only our second tournament back together and we’re already showing some good form which is promising.

“Against the Danes, we were a bit off the pace in the first set and struggled with the first four shots. But we really found our rhythm in the second set and never really got in trouble after that.

“We play a scratch pair in the next round so not really sure how it’s going to be. We’ll just focus on our game and hopefully it will be enough.”

Eleanor O’Donnell and Ciara Torrance won their women’s doubles encounter with Chang Ya Lan and Fee Teng Liew 21-18 21-14 and now face Danish third seeds Julie Finne-Ipsen and Rikke Soby later tonight.

MacPherson and Holly Newall, Hall and Alex Dunn and Jack MacGregor and Ciar Pringle are also in level doubles action later this evening.

Results were more disappointing for Scotland at the European Juniors in Estonia. Lauren Middleton and Sarah Sidebottom beat Marie Christiensen and Emma Waland 21-16 21-11 to reach the last-sixteen of the women’s doubles with top seeds Christopher and Matthew Grimley still to play their men’s doubles tie later tonight.

But a frustrating day saw losses for the rest of the Scotland squad, a number of which came in agonising three-game battles.

In the mixed doubles Adam Pringle and Rachel Andrew lost to Ethan Van Leeuwen and Sian Kelly, but not before they had given the English fifth seeds a real run for their money, winning the first game before succumbing to a very creditable 19-21 21-16 22-20 defeat.

Pringle and Joshua Apiliga also took the first game in their men’s doubles encounter but ultimately lost 18-21 21-19 21-19 to Gijs Duijs and Brian Wassink of the Netherlands and there was also disappointment in the singles.

Despite a spirited effort Rachel Sugden couldn’t match Reka Madarasz and the Hungarian top seed went through 21-18 21-10.

Sweden’s Johan Azelius beat Christopher Grimley 21-18 18-21 21-12 and Ukrainian tenth seed Danylo Bosniuk beat Joshua Apiliga 21-18 21-6 to end Scotland’s interests in the singles events.

Results scores and draws from Belgium here and Estonia here

Live streaming from Tallinn at www.youtube.com/user/BadmintonEuropeConf