Scotland’s Development Stars Make Strides in Croatia
30th September by Robert McLean
Scotland’s rising badminton talents made a strong statement at the Future Series event held in the stunning setting of Samobor, Croatia, last week. Competing against some of Europe’s most promising junior and senior players, the Scottish development squad delivered an impressive set of performances across multiple disciplines, showcasing their potential on the international stage.
Women’s Doubles Success
A major highlight of the tournament came in the women’s doubles, where Sophie Ford and Amy Craig reached the quarter-finals after a series of strong performances. The pair demonstrated excellent tactical awareness and composure under pressure, defeating their early-round opponents with confidence. Their run came to an end against the highly ranked second seeds, Sarah Dlapka and Lena Rumpold of Austria.
Mixed Doubles Breakthrough
In mixed doubles, Josh Taylor and Katie Stewart also enjoyed a breakthrough tournament, reaching the quarter-finals in a highly competitive field. The pair combined well throughout, showing strong court chemistry and intelligent shot selection. Their campaign ended at the hands of seasoned Polish pair Robert Cybulski and Julia Piwowar, who used their experience to close out a tight contest. Nevertheless, it was a standout performance for the young Scots, suggesting exciting prospects ahead.
Individual Performances Shine
In women’s singles qualifying, Sophie Ford produced one of the standout individual performances of the week, upsetting the third seed Maria Kisiel of Poland in a thrilling three-set match. Sophie showed great resilience and maturity to close out the match 21-17, 17-21, 21-13, securing a memorable win and underlining her progress in the singles discipline.
Amy Craig also made a strong start in the women’s singles qualifiers, claiming a convincing first-round win before meeting talented Greek player Melina-Maria Anastasiou. In a close three-set battle, Amy pushed her opponent all the way, eventually falling just short — but not without showing excellent skill and determination.
Men’s Doubles Fightback
There were encouraging signs in the men’s doubles as well, with Evan Kenny and Josh Taylor winning their opening round in the main draw, a significant achievement at this level. They were then drawn against the second seeds from Germany, Marvin Datko and Aaron Sonnenschein, and despite a straight-set loss, the match was closely contested throughout, with the Scottish pair pushing the favourites hard and gaining valuable experience.
A Bright Future
The results in Croatia are a testament to the development squad’s hard work, commitment, and growing international experience. Competing against top-tier European talent, the team not only held their own but frequently rose to the challenge — delivering upsets, pushing seeded pairs, and progressing deep into draws.
This was a fantastic effort across the board, and with performances like these, there’s plenty of reason to be excited about the future of Scottish badminton. The team continues to go from strength to strength, and this event marks another significant step in their development journey.