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Kirsty Gilmours salutes the crowd after securing her 1/4 place
Home court God’s shine on Gilmour
Date: 8/25/2017 12:26 AM
Published by : Mark Phelan
Scotland’s Kirsty Gilmour has spent more combined hours on the courts and in the environs of the vast expanses of the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, so much that it has almost become a second home. The home court gods were shining for the Glasgow girl today as she blitzed passed number 6 seed He Bingjiao of China. 

Gilmore got out of the blocks quicker than her Chinese opponent and raced into a 10-1 lead an advantage she was not going to lose on her way to the opening game. 

“I think that good start left He Bingjiao kind of shell-shocked” said Gilmour as she reflected on the opening exchanges. But like all top matches between top players there tends to be a few twists and turns and the Chinese player came right back in the second with a 21-15 win. 



“In any match like this there tends to be a purple patch for each player. He Bingjiao had hers in that second game but I knew the game was still there for the taking as we headed into the deciding set." 

Three quick points for Gilmour at the start of the deciding set seemed a slender lead at the time but would go on and prove to be pivotal in the outcome of the last 16 women’s singles match. In fact the Scot was not to be headed again in the match and could hardly believe it when the final smash winner hit the ground for a 21-16 win. 

“Days like these are few and far between in the life of an athlete. A home win against one of the world’s top players in a world championship on my own doorstep. It is almost what dreams are made of.”

Gilmour will now face Saina Nehwal for a medal tomorrow and the Scot is up for the challenge. “Saina will be favourite. She is one of the greats of the game. I will come prepared and ready and my confidence is high. I am looking forward to the challenge. 

As expected double world champion Carolina Marin (pictured above) expended little energy seeing of the challenge of Mia Blichfeldt in the last 16. Marin will now play Okuhara from Japan for a place in the semi final, a match than many feel will produce the eventual world champion come Sunday. 



Heartbreak for Denmark’s professor of badminton

While there were many good European performances in Glasgow today with 7 players/pairs making the quarter finals the whole arena was tinged with sadness to see Danish great Joachim Fischer forced to withdraw with a suspected broken angle. The great Dane appeared to be in immense pain early in his last 16 match as he fell to the floor and was immediately comforted by his partner Christinna Pedersen ( pictured above) and their Hong Kong opponents. The Danish medal hopefuls were forced to retire as Fischer was taken to hospital. 

The mixed doubles fight was left to the Adcock’s after the Irish Magee’s lost in three games to Ahmad and Natsir. The Adcock’s did not disappoint as they look to have a game not only capable of a medal but that of gold. A easy two game last 16 win sees the English pair as the sole remaining European pair in the mixed doubles draw. 

“I would not say today was the prettiest match by any means there were patches where we were good and patches where we didn’t play so well.” Said Gabby Adcock to the gathered media after their win



Axelsen left to fly men's singles flag for Europe

Viktor Axelsen (pictured above) looks to be growing into these world championships with every round. After two opening round wins where the Dane did what he had to do he slipped into overdrive today to destroy Ng Ka Long Angus in two sets. 

Leverdez, Antonsen and Ouseph came unstuck at last 16 stage with the English European champion going out in three sets to Lin Dan of China. Axelsen will now face Chou Tien Chen after the Taipei player came through yet another three set match, his third of the championships to date. 

“My attack was solid today” said Axelsen in his post match interview. “It’s a new day tomorrow and I think if I bring the game I played with today with me tomorrow I will be hard to beat.” 

In two of the very late matches rounding off the day’s play in the Emirates Denmark yet again came to the fore thanks to the vastly experienced pairs of Juhl/Pedersen and Boe/Mogensen. The Olympic silver medallist women’s doubles pair came out on top in the closest of two set match beating their Korean opponents Kim and Yoo 22-20 21-19. 

“Really pleased that we played such a good match today, we know the two young girls as we just played them in the last super-series in Australia, so knew it would be a tough match today.”



Boe and Mogensen (pictured above) were made work just slightly harder as they were taken to three sets by Inoue & Kaneko of Japan. The Danes eventually coming out the right side of a 21-12 deciding set win. 

“We were never really worried at one game all.” said Mogensen after the victory. “We have a lot of experience, it is fair to say we were both a little frustrated that we went to three sets but I think we both know we are the better pair, so we just looked in each other’s eyes and said now we will show people how to play men's doubles.”

The number two seeds Danes will now play Liu Cheng and Zhang Nan of China for a place in the semi finals. 

For all results from today’s play in Glasgow click HERE

For a full photo gallery from the last 16 rounds at the World Championships click HERE

Article and images by Mark Phelan for Badminton Europe



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