Brilliant Grimley brothers keep home win hopes alive after sensational semi-final triumph

Scottish hopes are still alive in Glasgow after Matthew and Christopher Grimley pulled off a sensational late win to reach the men’s doubles final at the 2021 Scottish Open.

The last remaining home players in the tournament beat former world number two’s Kim Sa Rang and Kim Gi Jung 21-19, 13-21, 21-18 in an epic match which closed out Saturday night.

“Even though they are a bit older now they are both unbelievable players,” said Matthew.

“To even play against them was a great experience, but to beat them in front of this crowd is just amazing.”

The pair will now face Malaysia’s Junaidi Arif and Muhammad Haikal in what promises to be a fanastic final on Sunday at the Emirates Arena.

However, it was a tough day for the other home favourites and top seeds Adam Hall and Alex Dunn.

The defending men’s doubles champions were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Malaysia’s Junaidi Arif and Muhammad Haikal.

Super Saturday round-up

The first game was neck and neck with both teams struggling to build a run of consecutive points but Arif and Haikal held their nerve to edge it 22-20.

The Scots struggled to find a rhythm in the second and their opponents took full advantage, closing out for a 22-20, 21-18 win.

“It was a tough one for us,” said Hall after the defeat.

“We just didn’t play well enough today no real excuses.

“It was a match that struggled for flow at the start and that probably didn’t help us.”

“They were just able to put a lot more pressure on us than we had faced before (in earlier rounds)” added Dunn.

That left the Grimleys as the last Scottish representatives following their quarter-final win over Rory Easton and Zach Russ.

The twin brothers produced a quickfire display, winning six points on the spin, in the first game to get the advantage.

A mature performance in the second, gave them a comfortable 21-12, 21-11 win over the English partnership and set them up for an epic victory later on.

Scottish interest had actually begun earlier this morning with the mixed doubles kicking-off the day’s action at the Emirates Arena.

Dunn and partner Ciara Torrance were first out on court two, but the Indian pair of Ishaan Bhatnagar and Tanisha Castro proved too strong, winning 21-14, 21-11.

However, Hall and fellow Scot Julie McPherson managed to get through to the last four after an exciting 21-19, 19-21, 21-17 win over the Danish pair of Mads Vestergaard and Natasja Anthonisen.

McPherson had suffered a tough defeat in the women’s doubles the night before but put in a fantastic performance to help the pair through a tricky tie.

This set up an evening semi-final clash with the fifth seeds, England’s Callum Hemming and Jessica Pugh.

After a close opening, Hemming and Pugh seized control midway through the first game, racing into a 16-12 lead.

Hall and McPherson refused to give in easily, but in the end it was the English pair who came out on top in this ‘battle of the Brits’, winning 21-17, 21-16.

The Scottish Open Badminton Championships is being staged at the Emirates Arena by Badminton Scotland with support from Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Life, Event Scotland and Yonex. Full results are at www.tournamentsoftware.com, and tickets are on sale at https://badmintonscotland.org.uk/tickets/