Bonsels and Milne star as elite players clash in Harrogate

The country’s best badminton players descended on North Yorkshire earlier this month and Harrogate’s elite players made their mark on the top level competition.
Lucy MilneLucy Milne
Lucy Milne

The Harrogate Open Senior Silver tournament welcomed 76 elite players from across the country to take part in a weekend of badminton at Harrogate Racquets Club on September 13 and 14.

Harrogate player Jamie Bonsels won the men’s singles competition after beating fellow Yorkshireman Josh Young in the final 21-13, 21-23, 21-19.

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Bonsels had already knocked top seed Alex Marritt out in the semi-finals in straight sets before overcoming Young in a tense final.

Harrogate Racquets Club member, Lucy Milne reached the ladies singles final after winning all her matches in straight sets, beating Cheshire’s Rachel Vickers in her semi-final.

However, she went down in two sets to Nichola Ho in the final.

Milne was also in form in the mixed doubles competition, and alongside Young, she progressed to the final, knocking out second sets Alan Clarkson and Bethan Higginson on their way.

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But again, she fell at the final hurdle as the pair eventually lost in three sets to Michael Reid and Rachel Vickers who had knocked out the top seeds.

The men’s doubles title was taken by the experienced duo Alan Clarkson and Mark Tuttle from Lancashire who didn’t drop a set all weekend and beat Yorkshire’s Mark Pratt and Michael Reid in the final.

The ladies doubles was a more closely run contest with Bethan Higginson and Emma Smethurst from Yorkshire scraping through the final beating Northumberland’s Sarah Renton and Vicki Brewis in three sets.

l For more information on joining Harrogate Racquets, visit the club’s website at www.harrogateracquets.com.