Yuan Gao's exit ends Scots' hopes

Rita Yuan Gao had won the singles title in 2004

Scotland's hopes of a home winner at the Bank of Scotland Centenary International Championships ended with the exit of Rita Yan Gao.

The 31-year-old had to quit her quarter-final against fourth seed Kanako Yonekura with a groin injury after losing the first game 21-12.

Yuan Gao, the 2004 champion, said: "I am really disappointed.

"I came here just to enjoy myself. But, once I got started, I really wanted to win the title."

Gao suffered the injury before the match began at Glasgow's Kelvin Hall.

"When I woke up this morning, I thought 'there's no way I can play', but coach Ray Stevens said to give it a go and so I did," she explained.

"But, after the first game, I couldn't carry on."

Yonekura will now play two-time defending champion Ella Diehl in the semi-finals, while China's Li Wenyan will meet Elizabeth Cann of England.

Edinburgh-born former Scotland international Robert Blair, England's 2006 world men's doubles silver medallist, is chasing a third mixed doubles title after reaching the final with Glasgow's Imogen Bankier.

Blair, who won the title in 2001 and 2002 with Natalie Munt, is in a new partnership with Bankier and they got their final bid off to a good start by beating holders and fourth seeds Vitalij Durkin and Valeri Sorokina 21-18 22-20.

They returned to book their final place with a 23-21 21-11 win over Blair's men's doubles partner, David Lindley, and Bankier's flat-mate, Suzanne Rayppan, the second seeds from England.

In the final, they will face last year's runners-up, Alexander Nikolaenko and Nina Vislova.

The men's singles had a few surprises, with second seed Andrew Dabeka falling to India's Anand Pawar 21-14 21-15.

Meanwhile, sixth seed Petr Koukal lost to Japan's Kenichi Tago 15-21 21-19 21-15 in the quarter-finals.

But 2003 champion and fifth seed Bjoern Joppien is still going strong, beating James Chua 21-18 21-8 to reach the semi-finals.

Magnus Sahlberg of Sweden now faces Joppien in the semi-finals after beating Rune Massing 19-21 24-22 21-15.