Blair claims Scots title double

Robert Blair and Imogen Bankier won the mixed doubles

England's Robert Blair enjoyed a double success on his return to the land of his birth at the Bank of Scotland Centenary International Championships.

Blair and David Lindley beat top seeds Alexander Nikolaenko and Vitalij Durkin in the men's doubles 21-18 21-12.

And he teamed up with Scotland's Imogen Bankier to beat Nikolaenko and Nina Vislova 15-21 22-20 21-9 in the mixed.

Japan won both singles, Kenichi Tago taking the men's and Kanako Yonekura beating England's Elizabeth Cann.

The 18-year-old Tago, ranked 82 in the world, upset fifth seed and 2003 men's singles champion Bjoern Joppien, the German 43 places higher in the rankings, 11-21 21-15 21-18.

English National champion Cann made fourth seed Yonekura fight all the way before losing 21-19 18-21 21-17 at Glasgow's Kelvin Hall.

Imogen is a very good player with lots of talent Robert Blair

Cann's compatriots, Gabby White and Mariana Agathangelou, lost to top seeds and 2005 champions Vislova and Valeria Sorokina, the Russians taking the women's doubles title 21-14 21-14.

But it was a day of joy for Blair, the 2006 world men's doubles silver medallist and new partner Lindley beating top seeds to win the men's doubles then again overcoming the odds in the mixed.

Blair, who previously represented Scotland, and 20-year-old Bankier, ranked 54 in the world, beat the Russian pairing after saving a match point with a lucky Blair net cord at 20-19 in the second game.

Victory meant they avenged a defeat in the first round of the Dutch Open last month, with Bankier becoming the first Scottish winner in the mixed doubles in 22 years.

Blair said: "After the first game of the mixed, we were a bit more relaxed and consistent. It just took us a while to get going.

"We have the making of a good partnership and I think we can get quite high.

"Imogen is a very good player with lots of talent. She's very composed and good around the net. I think she can develop in to one of the top mixed players in the world."

Bankier admitted to nerves playing in front of her home crowd.

"But Robert is great at helping on court and keeping me calm," she said. "The crowd were great too. That really helped."

The pair's next big tournament is the Russian Grand Prix.