Invitation Tournament - Season 2010-2011 - 04&05/03/11

Mark Mackay emerged the only undefeated player in the annual Caithness invitation badminton tourney at the weekend.

The two-day event had competitors from Shetland, Orkney and the Central belt, as well as a large local contingent.

While numbers were well down on last year's record entry, the 14th staging of the event produced its usual quota of absorbing contests. Mackay, from Dunnet, went one better than last year in cleaning up all three titles.

LtoR:- Carole Mowat, James Henderson, Shona Keith, Mark Mackay & Casey Sangster.

The 37-year-old lost just one set throughout the tourney - the opener in his quarter-final singles win over Caithness club-mate Abdul Mkith.

He defeated another Wick player, Stephen Hill, in the final when his opponent had to retire with a calf strain after losing the first set.

At the penultimate stage, Mackay had scored a straight sets win over Orcadian David Delday while Hill had pulled out all the stops to come through testing three setter versus tourney regular Paul Scott, from Falkirk.

Mackay and fiancée Shona Keith lifted the mixed title, having been runners-up last year.

The pair had a semi-final walkover when Wick duo Benjii Mackay and Donna Majilton were forced to pull out early in the first set after Mackay accidentally clattered his partner on the face with his racket.

Jason Jamieson and Carole Mowat came back from a set down to defeat Hill and Halkirk's Casey Sangster in their semi.

Stephen Hill & Casey Sangster.

But the Shetland and Caithness partnership had to give second best to Mackay and Keith in the final.

Mackay landed the level doubles title with Thurso veteran James Henderson.

They were extended by Paul Scott and Edinburgh's Keith Donald in the semi before getting home in two tough sets versus Halkirk's Peter Sangster and Gordon Keith, from Shetland.

The ladies doubles was claimed for the first time by long-time Caithness number one pairing Carole Mowat and Casey Sangster.

Serial runners-up in the tourney, it remained the one they had never managed to crack.

After defeating Shona and Stephanie Keith, from Shetland, at the penultimate stage, they featured in the best of the finals against Fiona Maxstone, from Grangemouth, and Kim Atkinson, from Edinburgh.

The Caithness combine clinched a tight opening set before the momentum shifted to the other side of the net.

The south duo took the second but lost a few careless points in the decider in which they were pipped 21-19.

Caithness players who won silverware in the plate competition were Majilton, Mkith, Hill, Kate MacNicol, Michelle Cowie, Lauren Gunn and Iain Dunnet.

Pater Sangster & Pam Bain.

The ladies doubles plate final was undoubtedly the tensest of the weekend.

There was next to nothing to separate MacNicol & Gunn and Cowie & Majilton as the first two sets were shared, each going to 24-22. The more experienced pair just got the better of the clincher, with Michelle and Donna triumphing 21-19.

report from Iain Grant & photos above from James Gunn photographic - click for website.

Results:-

• Ladies Singles - Shona Keith, Caithness
• Mens Singles - Mark Mackay, Caithness
• Ladies Doubles - Casey Sangster & Carole Mowat, Caithness
• Mens Doubles - Mark Mackay & James Henderson, Caithness
• Mixed Doubles - Mark Mackay & Shona Keith, Caithness

Extra Photos

Other snaps from DZ.

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