Yonex Canada Open Review

6th July 2026 by Robert McLean

It was a brilliant week for Scotland’s players at the Yonex Canada Open in Markham, with Alex Dunn and Julie MacPherson producing a standout performance to claim a bronze medal in the mixed doubles.

The Scottish pairing enjoyed a sensational run to the semi-finals, defeating a number of quality opponents to secure their place on the podium. Dunn and MacPherson came agonisingly close to reaching the final, eventually falling to Japan’s Saito and Koga in a thrilling three-set contest, narrowly missing out 23–21 in the deciding game after an outstanding week of badminton.

There was further success in the men’s doubles, where brothers Matt and Chris Grimley also impressed. The Scottish twins battled their way into the quarter-finals before suffering heartbreak in another final-set decider, losing to Japan’s Goto and Yoshida after a fiercely contested match.

In the women’s doubles, Ciara Torrance and Julie MacPherson reached the last 16 with another encouraging performance. Their run came to an end against Japan’s Suzuki and Yamakita, who claimed a 21–11, 21–14 victory before going on to lift the women’s doubles title later in the week.

Alex Dunn also featured in the men’s doubles alongside Adam Pringle, with the Scots handed arguably the toughest draw of the tournament against top-seeded Americans Smith and Chen. Despite the challenge, Dunn and Pringle pushed the favourites all the way, particularly in the second game, before narrowly exiting 21–16, 22–20 in an impressive display.

The performances across the week highlighted the strength and depth of the Scottish squad, with a medal-winning finish, multiple deep runs, and several competitive displays against some of the world’s strongest pairs.

A huge thank you goes to Head Coach Ingo Kindervater for his support and guidance throughout the tournament.

Attention now quickly turns to the next challenge, as Scotland’s players head to Tokyo for the DAIHATSU Japan Open, which gets underway on 14 July.