Grimley Twins Make Quarter-Final Run at Yonex Canada Open
14 July 2025 by Robert McLean
Scotland’s leading men’s doubles duo, Christopher and Matthew Grimley, delivered an encouraging performance at the Yonex Canada Open in Markham, reaching the quarter-finals and showing growing momentum on the North American circuit. The result represents a step forward from their campaign at the Yonex US Open the week before, where they bowed out in the round of 16.
In an uncanny repeat of the US Open draw, the twins once again faced home favourites Victor Ho and Kiren Milan Deraj in the first round. Even more remarkably, the match played out with the exact same scoreline as the previous week, as the Scots dominated proceedings with a 21-10, 21-9 win. Their superior speed, shot placement, and net control proved too much for the young Canadian pair.
The round of 16 presented a sterner challenge against the seasoned French pairing of Julien Maio and William Villeger, currently ranked world No. 61. Known for their experience and tactical awareness, the French duo pushed the Grimley’s in both sets. However, the Scots played some of their sharpest badminton in recent memory, showing confidence in attack and excellent court coverage to come through with a 21-16, 21-14 victory in straight games.
That win set up a quarter-final showdown with Zhi-Wei He and Huang Jui-Hsuan of Chinese Taipei, the world No. 37 pair and one of the dark horses of the draw. The opening game saw the Grimley’s on the back foot, as the Taiwanese pair applied early pressure and raced ahead to take the set. The Scots responded impressively, upping the tempo and taking control of the net to claim the second set 21-17, forcing a decider. In the end, however, the higher-ranked team held their nerve in the crucial moments, pulling away to seal the match 21-14 in the third.
Despite the defeat, the Grimley twins will take plenty of positives from their run in Markham, having shown resilience, improved consistency, and flashes of world-class quality. The back-to-back performances in the US and Canada mark an upward trend for the Scots, who will now shift focus to their biggest test of the season—the BWF World Championships in Paris next month.
