Confident Starts on day two as Gilmour shines on her Scottish Open return

Day Two of the Scottish Open began with a wave of strong Scottish performances, headlined by a commanding victory from Kirsty Gilmour on her return to the tournament. Competing once again in front of a home crowd, Gilmour delivered a controlled and confident performance, moving efficiently through her opening match and setting a positive tone for the rest of the day.

Credit: Jim Innes

Scotland’s momentum continued in the mixed doubles, where Alex Dunn and Julie McPherson, the reigning and defending champions, opened their title defence with a convincing win. Showing the composure and tactical sharpness that has defined their partnership, the duo looked completely at ease as they progressed to the next round.

Credit: Jim Innes

There was also a standout effort from Callum Smith, who pushed his opponent all the way in a gripping three-game contest. Smith showed outstanding determination and fight, taking the match to the wire before narrowly losing 21–19 in the third. His performance drew plenty of admiration from the home crowd and highlighted the growing strength of Scotland’s emerging talent.

Joining him with similarly spirited performances were Adam Pringle and Brooke Stalker, who also fell just short in tight matches. Both battled deep into the closing stages of their encounters, showing maturity and resilience despite narrow defeats.

Rachel Sugden added to the list of gritty performances, putting up a great fight against high-quality opposition. Despite a tough draw, she challenged her opponent throughout and delivered a performance full of intensity and effort.

There was also real courage on display from Sophie Ford, who continued the competitive form she showed in qualifying. Although she ultimately came up short, Ford fought hard throughout the match, playing with commitment and refusing to give up against strong opposition.

With convincing wins from Scotland’s top names and brave performances across the board, Day Two has already delivered excitement, intensity, and plenty for the home fans to get behind.