Burnett and Gourlay go through but Marshall out

Darren Burnett and David Gourlay made the Scottish contingent four going into today’s quarter-finals of the Co-operative Funeralcare International Open at Perth’s Dewars Centre.

However, it will be back to the drawing board for six-times world champion Alex Marshall.

The East Lothian giant has never won this title and bowed out once again – this time to England’s Les Gillett, seeded No 11.

The Scot held a 7-2 lead with two ends left to play in the opening set, but Gillett rolled in a neat treble and then a double to share the set at 7-7 and Gillett added the second with a 1, 2, 1 finish to win 6-4.

Gillett’s opponent today will be Arbroath’s No 9 seed Darren Burnett, who won this title back in 2001.

Burnett didn’t put a foot wrong in the opening set against No 6 seed Rob Paxton, racing through 11-1. However, in the second, Paxton hit back to win 8-3 to force a tie break. Burnett, however, claimed the shot on the last end to win 2-1.

He said: “It was a game of two jack lengths. I favoured the long and Rob the short. I played really well in the first set but you always know that a player of Rob’s calibreiscapableof hitting back and he did.”

Scotland’s National Coach, David Gourlay, last won this title in 2002 and has since lost two finals.

He was the last player to book his berth, against No 13 seed Mark Royal from Suffolk. Gourlay got off to a disastrous start dropping a full house but he clawed his way back with a 1, 1 and 2 finish to win 8-6. In the second, he trailed 3-1 but reeled off a 1, 3 and 1 to take a 6-3 lead and held off a late challenge from Royal to square the set at 6-6 and win the match by one and a half sets to a half.

His opponent will be World No 2 Nicky Brett, who finished strongly in both sets to edge qualifier Danny Dennison 8-7, 8-3.

In today’s other quarter-finals, No 4 seed Paul Foster is in the same half of the draw as wild card Mike Stepney from Elgin against England’s No 8 seed Jamie Chestney and No 14 Mervyn King.