‘Strong performances from all’ in Caithness open championships
Sixteen-year-old Chloe Mackenzie was a treble winner in Caithness Badminton Association’s open championships, held at the East Caithness Community Facility in Wick.
CBA president Kate Mackay said: “The championships had strong performances from all participants across singles, doubles and mixed. The competition was intense, and the level of play was impressive throughout.”
The men’s singles were played in the form of a knockout event with 11 players taking part.
The main draw saw some great games. In the semi-finals, Iain Nicolson got the better of Mark McCoustra 21-19, 21-12, while Matthew Robertson lost out 21-7, 21-12 to Martyn Cook.
Martyn won the final 21-18, 21-18.
In the consolation semis, Craig Stewart defeated Alexander Mackay 21-10, 21-14, while Sean Campbell beat Qida Du 21-12, 21-14.
The consolation final was a well-fought battle with Sean taking it in three sets, 17-21, 21-18, 22-20.
The ladies’ singles saw three competing in a round-robin format, with Chloe Mackenzie claiming the title for the second year in a row after winning both her games comfortably.
Runner-up was Donna Majilton after defeating Ava Cook 23-21, 21-17.
The men’s doubles competition was played in the form of two groups, then the top pair from each group had a play-off.
Group 1 was topped by Iain Nicolson and Matthew Roberson, who won both their group games.
Group 2 winners were Mark McCoustra and Martyn Cook, who also won both their matches.
The final went to three sets. Mark and Martyn won the first set 21-10, only to lose out in the second and third 21-17, 26-24, making Iain and Matthew the winners.
The ladies’ doubles was played as a round-robin featuring five pairs.
Lauren Gunn and Chloe Mackenzie won their first three games with ease, while Carole Begg and Beckie Gunn also won their first three matches.
The decider did not disappoint. Lauren and Chloe won the first set 21-9, then lost the second 22-20, but came back to win the third 21-16.
Nine pairs took part in the mixed doubles so they were split over three groups, with the top pair in each going into a play-off for the title and the bottom three going into a consolation.
Group 1 saw the young newly formed pairing of Mark McCoustra and Chloe Mackenzie winning both their games in two sets.
Taylor Swan and Jane Grant were placed in the consolation after losing both their group games.
Sean Campbell and Carole Begg topped Group 2, winning both their matches in two sets, while losing both their matches were Grant Steven and Louise Campbell.
James Swan and Megan Ross led the way in Group 3 after winning one game in two sets and losing their second in three sets.
Matthew Robertson and Beckie Gunn were placed in the consolation after winning one game in three sets and losing the other in two sets.
The main draw saw Mark and Chloe win both their matches comfortably in two sets, making them the overall winners. Runners-up were Sean and Carole after winning against James and Megan 21-10, 21-11.
The consolation event saw Matthew and Beckie win both games with something to spare, making them the consolation winners.
Kate Mackay added: “I would like to acknowledge the volunteers whose efforts were crucial to the smooth running of the tournament. Their support with logistics, scheduling and event set-up ensured everything went off without a hitch.
“On behalf of the association, congratulations to all the players for their hard work and dedication. We look forward to seeing more of them in future competitions, and a big thank-you to the volunteers for their contribution to the event’s success.”
