Huge win and an agonising loss as Dunn and MacPherson wow at the All-England

It was a week of both celebration and heartbreak in Birmingham as Scotland’s mixed doubles pair Alex Dunn and Julie MacPherson delivered outstanding performances against some of the sport’s elite, underlining their growing presence on badminton’s biggest stages.

The Scottish duo began their campaign with a daunting Round of 32 clash against Denmark’s world No.12 pairing, Jesper Toft and Amalie Magelund. From the opening rallies, Dunn and MacPherson played with confidence and composure, thrilling the Birmingham crowd with a high-quality contest. In a dramatic three-game encounter, the Scots emerged victorious 21–19, 14–21, 21–9, producing one of their most impressive performances on the international stage.

The win was particularly significant as it marked the first time in three previous attempts that Dunn and MacPherson had defeated the Danish pair, making the breakthrough all the more satisfying.

Their reward was a place in the Round of 16 and an immediate rematch with China’s Guo Xinwa and Chen Fanghui, the same opponents they had faced the previous week at the German Open. Once again, the margins were razor-thin. Despite a spirited effort from the Scots, the Chinese pairing edged both games 21–19, 21–19, bringing Dunn and MacPherson’s run to an end in agonising fashion.

While the result ultimately meant a Round of 16 exit, the performances across the week confirmed that Dunn and MacPherson truly belong among the world’s top mixed doubles pairs. Competing toe-to-toe with established international opponents, they demonstrated resilience, tactical maturity, and the ability to rise to the occasion on one of badminton’s most prestigious stages.

There is little time to dwell on the narrow defeat, however. The pair now turn their attention to their next challenge at the Swiss Open in Basel, where they will look to build on the momentum from an impressive week in Birmingham.

Credit also goes to coach Robert Blair, whose guidance throughout the tournament helped steer the duo through a demanding draw and another encouraging chapter in their rise up the world rankings.