Hylo Open: Day 1 Review
27th October 2026 by Robert McLean
It was a difficult day for Scotland’s doubles stars at the Hylo Open in Saarbrücken, with both pairs suffering defeats despite producing some high-quality badminton and pushing their opponents hard.
Ciara Torrance and Julie MacPherson were first on court, facing tournament top seeds Hsu and Lin of Chinese Taipei. The Scottish duo delivered one of their strongest performances of the season, producing some outstanding badminton to take an excellent opening game 21-18.
The second game was another closely contested affair, with Ciara and Julie matching their highly rated opponents throughout. However, despite their best efforts, the Scots were incredibly unlucky to fall just short, losing 23-21 as Hsu and Lin levelled the match.
To their credit, the top seeds regrouped impressively in the deciding game, demonstrating their class to take control and secure a 21-11 victory. It was a match that perfectly encapsulated Scotland’s European swing this season, with fine margins once again proving decisive despite another encouraging performance from the Scottish pair.
Later in the evening, Matt and Chris Grimley took to the court to face French duo Eloi Adam and Leo Rossi. The opening game proved to be another high-quality contest, with both pairs battling hard in a tense finish. The French pair eventually edged it 24-22, capitalising on the crucial final points after Matt and Chris had their opportunities to take the game.
The second game proved more difficult for the Scottish brothers, as Adam and Rossi established a lead that they never looked likely to surrender. The French duo maintained their advantage to close out the match with a 21-14 victory, bringing Scotland’s involvement in the doubles events to an end.
Looking Ahead: Kirsty Gilmour Takes Centre Stage
Attention now turns to the women’s singles, where Kirsty Gilmour will lead Scotland’s challenge tomorrow with a testing opening encounter against American teenager Ella Lin.
Lin arrives in impressive form, having won her last five matches, setting up what promises to be an exciting Round of 32 contest between two determined competitors.
The match is scheduled to be the 12th match on Court 1, with fans able to watch the action live on BWF TV.
Everyone at the Scottish camp will be hoping Kirsty can make a strong start to her campaign in Saarbrücken. Best of luck, Kirsty!