Scottish Open 2024: Top five moments from Day 1

Day 1 Top 5 Moments

It was an exciting first day of action at the Scottish Badminton Open 2024. The buzzing Emirates Arena was filled with supporters cheering on successful Scots throughout the day.

Here is a roundup of the top 5 moments from the first day of the championships. 

  1. Abbie Brooks and Lauren Middleton Qualify for Women’s Singles Main Draw

It was a triumphant day for young Scots Abbie Brooks and Lauren Middleton as they both qualified for the Women’s Singles Main Draw. After an intense day of competing,  the talented players fought through their 2 qualifying rounds to secure spots in the main draw. This is the first time Brooks has made it through to an international challenge main draw and after narrowly missing out on a spot last year, Middleton felt “relieved” and “happy” to have made it this time round.

 

  1. Matthew Waring goes the furthest he has even been in the Scottish Open

Matthew Waring showed promise on day one as he became the first Badminton Scotland player to make it through to the next stage of the qualifiers. He battled through two matches to make it to the third stage of the qualifiers. Sadly, he just missed out on securing a spot in the main draw. This was a momentous achievement for Waring as this is only the third Senior Tournament he has played in and the furthest point he has ever got to in the Scottish Open, proving his promising potential.

 

  1. Katrina Chan Secures Position in Women’s Singles Qualifications

Another exciting day for Scottish player Katrina Chan as she was moved up to play in the Women’s Singles Qualifications after only finding out the night before she would be playing. She faced a tough match against opponent Sophia Noble from Ireland, who is ranked number 4 in the Women’s Qualification and won Silver at the 2024 Latvia Open. Chan demonstrated her talent on the court and put up a strong fight despite missing out on the win. This is great preparation for the promising player who will be jetting off to Ibiza next week for the European Junior Championships.

 

  1. Joshua Apiliga Secures Position in the Men’s Singles Main Draw for a Second Year

Men’s Singles player Joshua Apiliga fought through three qualifying matches to make it into the main draw in his exciting return. This is his second time qualifying after he beat Nadeem Dalvi of England at last year’s Open. The up and coming player has shown some real talent here at the Emirates Arena and is one to watch.

 

  1. Scotland v Scotland 

Four Scottish teammates stepped out on the court yesterday for some friendly rivalry. Brothers Callum and Tyler Smith faced Calum Flockhart and Torben Trapp. It was Flockhart and Trapp who were victorious this time round. This was Tyler’s debut match after time off the court. It was a good warm up for his brother Callum who was granted a wildcard in his main event the Men’s Singles main draw. He will take on England’s Ethan Rose later today.

 

By Sophie Farquharson