Dunn is denied second final spot

Motherwell’s Alex Dunn came agonisingly close to a second final in a week before losing in the men’s doubles semifinal at the 18th Victor Dutch Badminton International in Wateringen, Holland.

The 18-year-old, who was a silver medallist in the mixed doubles at the European Junior Championships in France with Eleanor O’donnell last week, reached the semi-finals of the men’s doubles with Adam Hall.

Dunn and Hall knocked out top seeds Matijs Dierickx and Freek Golinski 21-13 2123 21-14, and beat Denmark’s Mathias Bay Smidt and Victor Svendsen 21-13 12-21 21-17 in the quarter-final.

However, in the semi-final the young Scots went down to Dutch pair Jim Middelburg and Russell Muns 21-11 15-21 25-23.

Hall and Dunn came back from 20-16 down in the decider and saved seven match points before the Dutchmen snatched victory on their eighth.