Treble triumph for Mark and Shannon in senior restricted tournament
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Mark Mackay of Caithness and Shannon Leslie from Orkney swept the board in this year’s Highland Badminton Group senior restricted tournament as both won the treble.
Twenty men and 14 women from all over the Highland Badminton Group area battled it out over the two days at the Black Isle Leisure Centre in Fortrose.
The men’s singles were played over two groups before the play-off for the main overall winner and also a consolation play-off.
Mark Mackay topped Group A, with Steven McGregor (Nairn) second, as Iain Nicolson (Caithness) and Sam Groundwater (Orkney) headed to the consolation.
Group B saw Great Glen’s Callum Craig top the standings followed by Thomas Calder (Shetland), with Erlend Ballantine and John MacCulloch going through to the consolation. Callum and Thomas fought it out for the top place with a three-setter which Callum won 11-21, 21-19, 21-12.
The main draw saw Thomas Calder take on Mark Mackay, with Mark coming out top 21-15, 21-17. In the other semi-final Callum Craig challenged Steven McGregor with Callum winning 21-2, 21-11.
The final saw some great rallies before Mark clinched the title, winning 21-15, 21-17.
The consolation event saw young Sam Groundwater take on John MacCulloch in the first semi-final which went to three sets with Sam winning 21-16, 13-21, 21-18. The second semi-final should have been Erlend versus Iain, but Erlend retired – giving Iain a place in the final. However, Iain decided enough was enough for one night and he also retired, which meant Sam won the consolation draw.
The ladies' singles was a round-robin format with Shannon Leslie coming out on top and Jody Groundwater (also Orkney) second.
The men’s doubles saw the top two teams from each of the three groups going through to the main draw and the rest entering the consolation rounds.
In the first of the main draw semi-finals, Mark Mackay and Thomas Calder were up against Callum Craig and Callum McWhirter (Elgin), with Mark and Thomas securing their place in the final by 21-13, 21-8. The second semi was a close battle with the Orkney father-and-son duo Eion and Erlend Ballantine taking on John Durrand (Caithness) and Alistair Gordon (Great Glen).
It was the Orkney pair who won through, 20-22, 22-20, 21-17, after a nail-biting contest.
Mark and Thomas dominated the final, winning 21-14, 21-10.
The consolation final was Caithness duo Matthew Robertson and Iain Nicolson versus Great Glen’s James Brown and Mark Sproule. The Caithness pair won 21-14, 21-18.
The ladies' doubles were played in two groups, with the top two heading to the main draw play-off and the others going into the consolation.
The main draw saw two keenly contested semi-finals. The first saw Jody Groundwater and Emma Work (Orkney) taking on Chloe Mackenzie (Caithness) and Joanne Pottinger (Orkney), with Jody and Emma edging a marathon three-setter 22-20, 19-21, 23-21.
The second pair securing their place in the final were Orkney’s Shannon Leslie and Gemma Foulis after beating Emma Donald (Moray) and Rachel Birse (Great Glen) 21-16, 21-18.
Shannon and Gemma triumphed 21-19, 21-16, in the final.
In the consolation final Eleanor Bonser and Joanne Welsey saw off Emma Sendall and Cara Strath after a lengthy three-setter, 19-21, 21-14. 21-19.
After a long day of play the mixed doubles were played as an elimination with consolation.
In the first semi-final, Mark and Shannon came up against Erlend and Jody, with Mark and Shannon winning 21-10, 21-11.
In the second semi Orkney duo Eion and Emma took on John Durrand (Caithness) and Orkney’s Joanne Pottinger, with Eion and Emma progressing 21-13, 21-17.
Mark and Shannon were on fire in the final as they triumphed 21-7, 21-8, but there were some great long rallies.
In the first of consolation semi-finals, Gemma Foulis (Orkney) and Callum McWhirter (Elgin) won 21-13, 21-12, against John MacCulloch (Culbokie) and Cara Strath (Lochcarron).
The second semi saw Skye’s Michelle Macintosh and Orkney’s Ross Groundwater taking on James Brown and Emma Sendall (both Great Glen), with James and Emma going through 18-21, 21-9, 21-12.
Callum and Gemma won the final 21-17, 21-18.
Tournament organiser Kerry Mackenzie said: "I'd like to say a massive thank-you to all the players that came along to compete and to all the volunteers who helped behind the scenes and on the day. Thanks also to all the staff at the leisure centre."
