Kirsty Gilmour came up just short in her bid to become the first home player to claim a singles title since badminton’s Scottish Open became a Grand Prix event when she was beaten by Denmark’s Line Kjaersveldt in the deciding set of a final which lasted more than an hour at the Emirates Arena.

Facing an opponent she had beaten in the last four of their five previous meetings the Glasgow-based 21-year-old looked to be on course to fulfil her top seeding when she overcame a nervous start to take the opening set.

However she was never quite able to rid herself of the tension as she attempted to give a highly supportive crowd the finish to the event that more than 2500 had turned up hoping to witness, going down 21-16, 16-21, 18-21.

“I don’t think I played particularly badly but just that little extra bit of tension meant not quite hitting cleanly enough or hoping things are out so leaving things, that little bit of spatial awareness gone,” she admitted.

“I did everything I could to try to get that feeling back, to play a bit safe, but she was on form today.”

The quality of play was markedly higher than it had been when Gilmour met Anna Thea Madsen, another 21-year-old Dane, in the semi-final if not quite as high as when she played her best badminton of the week in Friday’s quarter-final against Japanese 23-year-old Ayumi Mine.

However Gilmour paid tribute to the way Kjaersveldt, who had also beaten Spanish second seed Beatriz Corrales in her semi-final, raised her game when it mattered.

“That’s the best she’s played when we’ve met and credit to her that was really good from her and I couldn’t quite hold on,” she said.

Gilmour's challenge, as she builds towards near certain involvement in next year’s Olympics, such is her lead over Fontaine Mica Chapman, England’s top player who is more than 50 places below the world’s number 20 in the global rankings, is to re-group quickly and she is set to do that in exotic climes.

Dismissing hefty strapping on her ankle, the result of aggravating an old injury during the semi-final, as something she would never consider using an excuse, she also said it would not hinder her plans to take part in tournaments in the USA and Mexico in December.

After that she could be heading for India, having had an invitation to training with world number two Saina Nehwal.

“That’s an option for me in January, I just have to finalise the details with my coaches I think,” she acknowledged.

Since a change of scenery is often recommended to lift spirits that looks like an ideal plan, but Gilmour is determined that after losing at the same stage of this event two years ago and in the Commonwealth Games final at the same venue in between times, she will win in Glasgow.

“I know I’ve been in this situation in this precise hall, but it’s not lost me that I’m still only 22 and I might have eight more of these to play,” she observed.

“I have to look at silver linings, this isn’t the last one or the only chance for me. OK it was a great chance this year, but I’ve got a long time in this game, this isn’t the end of my Scottish Open trail.”