Scottish Badminton - Glasgow Open - Season 2006-2007

Ratter-Tat-Tat just like that... - 25/02/07

Mark Mackay & Helen Blair

Caithness farmer Mark Mackay at the weekend added to his roll of honour on the Scottish badminton scene.

Mackay and partner Helen Blair won the mixed doubles title at the annual Glasgow Open held in the city's Cockburn Centre. Though they top the Scottish rankings, the duo were number two seeds at the competition. After a first round bye, they chalked up four straight set wins to face top seeds Colin Hill and Alison Laing in the final.

Mackay and Blair lost the first set 21-15 and had to survive two championship points in the second before pulling through 22-20. In the decider, they looked good at 18-12, only to lose four straight points before winning out 21-17 to repeat their success at the 2005 Glasgow Open.

Mackay, who has just turned 32, won the title on two previous occasions with another partner.

He was earlier knocked out at the quarter-final stage in both the singles and the level doubles, where he played with Craig Lamb.

The onset of calving and lambing at the family farm at Scarfskerry has meant he has now called it a day as far the main Scottish circuit is concerned.

report from Iain Grant.

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