Entry could be capped next year after success of Caithness Badminton Association's open event
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Caithness Badminton Association's annual open competition is in danger of becoming a victim of its own success.
Last weekend's 25th tournament in Wick attracted a record 74 entrants, from as far afield as Shetland to the central belt and from the Western Isles to Nairn.
While delighted with its popularity, organiser Pauline Craig says the logistics of working with the numbers is a growing headache.
"Last year we had a few last-minute call-offs and ended up with 64," she said. "This year's entry was just about as big as we can handle, with the time and facilities we have."
Next year, the entry, particularly in the singles on Friday evening where seven courts were deployed, might have to be capped.
The event in the Wick community campus was followed by the prize presentation and a social evening at the Park Hotel in Thurso.
Mrs Craig said: "We have shown that we are a very welcoming county. There's a good vibe and the socialising adds to its appeal.
"We had players travelling for the first time from the Western Isles also players from Shetland, Orkney, Inverness, the Perth area, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Fife.
"I don’t think there will be many competitions that could compete with this entry level. The overall standard of play was amazing and many close games went down to the wire."
She said the ongoing sponsorship from Dounreay Communities Fund, Caithness Scaffolding, North Point Distillery and John Gunn & Sons is crucial to its success.
On the court, long-time Caithness number one Mark Mackay extended his remarkable monopoly of the men's singles.
After seeing off Erlend Ballantine in the last four, he defeated another Orcadian, Andrew Reid, in straight sets in the final to seal his 25th straight title.
The following day, Mark and wife Shona combined to land the mixed doubles.
Fresh from their victory in the Glasgow Yonex Championships the previous weekend, the Scarfskerry duo polished off Ballantine and Jody Groundwater in the semi before coming through in straight sets against another Orkney pair, Andrew Reid and Shannon Leslie, in the final.
Mark completed his now-customary treble when he and Martyn Cook won the final of the level doubles, recovering from losing the first set to defeat Dean Guthrie and Ramsay Hogg from Shetland.
Shona teamed up with county team-mate Lauren Gunn to win the women's doubles.
They had to dig deep in a hotly contested final when they came from behind in both sets before prevailing against Orkney juniors Shannon Leslie and Gemma Foulis.
Fifteen-year-old Shannon had earlier upset the odds in the singles. Shona came through a tough three-setter in the last four against Orkney's Jody Groundwater but lost out 23-21, 21-19 in the final to Shannon.
Results:
Men's singles – Semi-finals: Mark Mackay (Caithness) bt Erlend Ballantine (Orkney) 21-8, 21-6; Andrew Reid (Orkney) bt Callum Craig (Inverness) 21-17, 21-17. Final: Mackay bt Reid 21-4, 21-7.
Plate – Final: John Durrand (Caithness) bt Mark McCoustra (Caithness) 31-21.
Women's singles – Semi-finals: Shona Mackay (Caithness) bt Jody Groundwater (Orkney) 18-21, 21-18, 21-12; Shannon Leslie (Orkney) bt Gemma Foulis (Orkney) 21-16, 21-16. Final: Leslie bt Mackay 23-21, 21-19.
Plate – Final: Ruth Anderson (Shetland) bt Chloe Mackenzie (Caithness) 31-27.
Men's doubles – Semi-finals: Mark Mackay and Martyn Cook (Caithness) bt Gordon Keith and Graham Keith (Shetland) 21-11, 21-12; Dean Guthrie and Ramsay Hogg (Shetland) bt Thomas Calder and Luca Russell (Shetland) 21-12, 10-21, 21-12.
Final: Mackay and Cook bt Guthrie and Hogg 19-21, 21-17, 21-10.
Plate – Final: Rory Irvine and Joe Thomson (Shetland) bt Salim Ben Boudinar (Glasgow) and Rory Cooper (Auchterarder) 31-22.
Women's doubles – Semi-finals: Lauren Gunn and Shona Mackay (Caithness) bt Groundwater & Emma Work (Orkney) 21-9, 21-11; Foulis and Leslie (Orkney) bt Joanne Pottinger (Orkney) and Alison Shearer (Edinburgh) 19-21, 21-12, 21-15. Final: Gunn and Mackay bt Foulis & Leslie 21-19, 21-19.
Plate – Final: Stephanie Keith and Jenna McDonnell (Shetland) bt Mackenzie and Kirsty Henderson (Caithness) 31-21.
Mixed doubles – Semi-finals: M and S Mackay (Caithness) bt Ballantine and Groundwater 21-9, 21-11; A Reid and Leslie bt Hogg and McDonnell 21-13, 21-16. Final: M & S Mackay bt Reid & Leslie 21-15, 21-10.
Plate – Final: Stephen Hill and Rebecca Reid (Orkney) bt Nicolson and L Gunn 17-21, 21-12, 21-15.
