Gilmour is in seventh heaven as she continues her winning habit
Kirsty Gilmour won her seventh successive women’s singles title at the Yonex Scottish National Championships at Bell’s Sport Centre in Perth yesterday. “It’s become a nice habit,” she admitted.
The 21-12, 21-16 victory in the final over Julie Macpherson was part of a perfect warm-up for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games. A silver medallist at Glasgow 2014, another podium appearance on Australia’s Gold Coast is the Glasgow-based Gilmour’s main goal this year.
“But it’s going to be tougher than four years ago in Glasgow,” she pointed out. “The entry is much stronger and it’s going to have a very different feel compared to 2014.
“I know expectations are high but I have to stay measured. I want to do well, get a good seeding and then we’ll see what happens.
“Winning my seventh title feels really good. It’s not something I ever set out to do, but I’ll be back next year hoping to get to number eight.”
Gilmour, pictured, ranked 15 in the world and winner of the Scottish Open Grand Prix in November, is in a class of her own in singles at domestic level. But Macpherson, making her third consecutive final appearance, made her work hard.
In the men’s singles, Kier- an Merrilees was also a rank above all the opposition. In the final, he comfortably defeated the 2016 champion Matthew Carder 21-12, 21-11. Macpherson appeared in all three finals and she successfully defended the women’s doubles with Eleanor O’donnell. They needed four match points but finally ended the challenge from Holly Newall and Ciara Torrance 21-11, 25-23.
Alex Dunn and Adam Hall claimed the men’s doubles, defeating two-time winners Martin Campbell and Patrick Machugh in a real thriller 21-15, 19-21, 21-17.
In a ding-dong mixed doubles, Dunn and O’donnell collected their second titles. They saved a string of match points against Macpherson and Campbell before clinching victory 21-17, 14-21, 25-23.
The Championships always start with the presentation of the Derrick Roarty Award for service to Scottish badminton. This year’s recipient was the Edinburgh-based umpire Alastair Wilson.