Scotland’s National Stars Head to Finland for Prestigious Arctic Open
7th October 2025 by Robert McLean
Scotland’s top badminton talent is in action this week as they travel to Vantaa, Finland for the HSBC BWF World Tour Super 500 Arctic Open — a key stop in the European swing of the international calendar. With a strong squad and high hopes for deep runs into the tournament, the event marks an important milestone in the senior national team’s season.
New Challenges, Familiar Determination
This year’s Arctic Open presents both opportunity and challenge for the Scottish contingent. The team will be without one of its most experienced players, Julie MacPherson, who misses the event due to illness. Her absence is certainly felt, but the entire squad — and the wider Scottish badminton community — wishes her a speedy recovery and hopes to see her back on court for next week’s Denmark Open.
Despite the setback, there’s plenty of excitement surrounding Scotland’s opening day matches, with several key players kicking off their campaigns.
Opening Day Highlights
All eyes will be on the mixed doubles pairing of Ciara Torrance and Chris Grimley, who continue to build chemistry in their relatively new partnership. They’re scheduled to play the 6th match on Court 1, facing Ukraine’s Oleksii Titov and Yevheniia Kantemyr, currently ranked 61st in the world.
Later in the day, Scotland’s top women’s singles player Kirsty Gilmour takes to Court 2 for the 10th match. It’s a tough opener for Kirsty, as she faces the tournament’s 7th seed Pin-Chian Chiu of Chinese Taipei — a stern test that promises high-quality action.
Doubles Campaigns Begin Wednesday
Scotland’s men’s doubles pairs begin their campaigns tomorrow. Adam Pringle and Alex Dunn are set to compete alongside Chris and Matthew Grimley, both partnerships eager to make an impact in this highly competitive Super 500 draw.
The squad is under the guidance of National Performance Coach Robert Blair, whose experience will be invaluable as players navigate tough early-round matchups and seek to build momentum through the tournament.
Follow the Action
Fans can catch all the matches live on the BWF YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/bwftv
See Scotland’s Stars Compete at Home!
You can see Scotland’s best players take on the world on home soil at the Scottish Open Badminton Championships, being held at Glasgow’s Emirates Arena from 20–23 November 2025.
🎟️ Tickets are on sale now, with great discounts available for our members!
👉 Secure your tickets or find out how to become a member by visiting our website: www.badmintonscotland.org.uk
Let’s get behind our players in Finland — and then cheer them on in Glasgow this November!