Badminton: Cooper and Mason ready for battle of Britain at Kelvin Hall

The Capital pair had an easy passage into the women's last eight when Ghana's Martha Forson and Theresa Tetteh failed to show up in Glasgow.

A new partnership, Mason and Cooper relished the opportunity to take on the English No.3 seeds, Gabby White and Jenny Wallwork.

"They are the best in Britain and it will be good to see how we do against them," said Mason. "We have absolutely nothing to lose."

In the singles, Scotland's Kieran Merrilees claimed two great wins to make it into his first ever quarter-final, while Susan Egelstaff, the defending champion, and Linda Sloan, were the Scots to make it through in the women's event.

Sloan also reached the last eight for a first time - and was in terrific form in a third round 21-10 21-19 victory over England's Fontaine Chapman.

Merrilees, the Glasgow 21-year-old, had to battle back from set down to beat Denmark's Thomas Fynbo 13-21 21-14 21-11 in the morning and he was 21-13 15-10 ahead of Marcel Reuter in the last 16 match when the German No. 5 seed pulled out with a back injury.

"I've no idea what was wrong with him," said Merrilees, who is the first Scot to reach the men's singles quarter-finals since Dunfermline's Bruce Flockhart ten years ago. "He seemed fine and I've never lost to him and seem to have the mental edge."

Egelstaff took on two top European juniors and crushed them both. In the second round, she eclipsed Germany's Fabienne Deprez 21-13 21-13 and then England's Sarah Milne was dispatched 21-10 21-12.

"It's always good to put the young ones in their place," joked the No.2 seed.

"Sarah is the best junior in Britain and it's been a very solid day. They are both promising players but I was really up for both matches."

Egelstaff now faces the Danish-born Greek player, Anne Hald Jensen, while Sloan has the task of facing the No.1 seed and 2008 champion, Liz Cann. Merrilees takes on the Ukrainian No.3 seed, Dymtro Zavadsky.