Czech International Future Series Review
22nd June 2026 by Robert McLean
It was a largely positive week for the four Scottish players competing at the Czech International Future Series in České Budějovice, with several encouraging performances against strong international opposition.
Finlay Jack was the first Scot in action on the opening day of the tournament. He produced a competitive display against highly regarded Danish youngster Frederik Hinding, pushing his opponent in both games despite eventually going down 21-16, 21-16. The scoreline did not fully reflect the quality of Finlay’s performance, as he showed plenty of promise against one of the tournament’s talented young players.
Angus Meldrum enjoyed a successful start to his campaign in the qualifying draw. He overcame local player Vojtěch Strejček in a hard-fought three-game encounter, taking the match 21-9, 9-21, 21-15. The victory set up an all-Celtic clash with Ireland’s Matthew Cheung in the round of 32 qualifying. In a match decided by the finest of margins, Angus pushed the Irishman all the way, but Cheung edged two incredibly tight games to progress, winning 21-19, 22-20.
In the men’s doubles event, Josh Taylor and Evan Kenny began their tournament in the main draw against Czech pairing Vojtěch Strejček and Lukáš Thor. The Scottish duo showed great composure to overcome an inspired home partnership in a thrilling three-game contest, winning 21-15, 15-21, 21-19 to reach the last 16.
Their reward was a meeting with highly rated German youngsters Danial Marzuan and Aaron Sonnenschein. Despite a determined effort from Taylor and Kenny, the German pair proved too strong on the day, securing a 21-17, 21-14 victory and bringing the Scots’ run to an end.
Overall, it was an encouraging tournament for the Scottish contingent, with strong performances, valuable international experience, and several closely contested matches against quality opposition. Attention now turns to the closing stages of the season, with the players set to continue their campaigns across Scotland, Ireland, and Wales in the coming months.