Badminton: Scots pair cause upset to reach quarter-finals

EDINBURGH-BORN Robert Blair and Glasgow's Imogen Bankier, the former world top-ten badminton pair, scored a big upset when they beat the Malaysian No.6 seeds to reach the quarter-finals of the mixed doubles at the Yonex German Open in Mulheim van der Ruhr.

Bankier, sidelined by a knee injury for seven months, and Blair, who now plays for England, beat the Dutch pair of Dave Khodabux and Samantha Barning 21-11, 21-17 in the first round.

They then caused a major surprise by knocking out Chieh Min Fang and Pei Rong Wang 21-11, 21-17 to make it through to the last eight and a meeting with Russia's Alexandr Nikolaenko and Veleria Sorokina.

Edinburgh's Jillie Cooper and England's Chris Langridge beat Canadians Toby Ng and Grace Gao 21-19, 21-15 in the opening round and raised hopes of a last-eight spot when they took the first game against Robin Middleton and Mariana Agathangelou.

But the English pair came from 9-12 down in the final game to advance 12-21, 21-13, 21-16.