KAWASAKI Slovak Open Review
7th May 2026 by Robert McLean
KAWASAKI Slovak Open proved to be a hugely encouraging week for both Angus Meldrum and Finlay Jack, with the pair producing a series of impressive performances against strong international opposition in Bratislava.
With both players needing to battle through multiple qualifying rounds to reach the main draw, they rose to the challenge superbly throughout the week.
Finlay Jack began his campaign in the qualifying round of 64 and was handed a difficult opener against higher-ranked Austrian Michael Tomic. Despite the challenge, Jack produced an excellent display, pushing his opponent hard in two extremely tight sets. It was a strong performance from the Scot against a player ranked almost 400 places above him in the world rankings and another sign of his continued progress on the international stage.
Angus Meldrum, meanwhile, enjoyed an outstanding week in Slovakia and looked back to his very best following a lengthy injury layoff. Building on his opening victory over Poland’s Szymon Gwiazda, Meldrum followed up with another commanding performance against Ukraine’s Dmytro Scherbatiuk, securing a composed 21-17, 21-17 victory.
The Scot continued his momentum in the qualifying round of 32, where he faced India’s Aniketh Reddy Kura. Once again, Meldrum delivered an assured and confident display, progressing in straight sets with a convincing 21-12, 21-14 win.
That victory set up a final qualifying match this morning against Polish player and seventh qualifying seed Mateusz Golas, with a coveted place in the main draw on the line. In a fiercely contested three-set encounter, Meldrum pushed his opponent all the way before narrowly missing out in heartbreaking fashion.
Although the main draw ultimately proved just out of reach, both players can take enormous confidence from their performances throughout the week in Bratislava. Their displays highlighted excellent progress, resilience, and the ability to compete strongly against experienced international opposition.
Attention now turns to the next challenge at the Yonex Bonn International later this month.