Scotland’s shuttlers battle through action-packed opening day in Belgium
10th September 2026 by Robert McLean
t was a busy opening day for Scotland’s shuttlers at the YONEX Belgian International, with plenty of hard-fought encounters, a number of impressive performances and more Scottish interest to come in the main draw.
In men’s singles qualifying, James Robertson received a walkover against England’s Luke Hall before facing seasoned Bulgarian Stoyanov in a fiercely contested three-game encounter. Robertson battled throughout in a back-and-forth match, but it was the Bulgarian who eventually prevailed to bring James’ qualifying run to an end.
Finlay Jack also faced a tough opening assignment against Germany’s Vasudevan. The German produced a top-level performance to take the match in two games and end Jack’s hopes of progressing further.
There was better news elsewhere in the men’s singles, however, as Matthew Waring enjoyed an excellent qualifying campaign, winning three rounds to secure his place in today’s main draw. Waring now faces French qualifier Lièvre in the last 32 as he looks to continue his run in Belgium.
In men’s doubles qualifying, Evan Kenny and Josh Taylor produced one of the day’s highlights, battling through an epic three-game encounter against Bulgaria’s Panev and Stoyanov. The Scots held their nerve to claim victory and book their place in today’s main draw.
Their reward is another challenging tie, with Kenny and Taylor set to face Denmark’s Nebel and Søby.
There was also a spirited performance from Brooke Stalker and Ishbel McCallister in women’s doubles. The Scottish pairing pushed talented Dutch duo Bang and Odijk hard, but after a closely fought contest, the Dutch pair took the deciding game 21-9.
McCallister had earlier also featured in mixed doubles alongside Josh Taylor, with the Scottish pair facing Sweden’s third seeds in qualifying, Öhling and Molin. Despite fighting hard, the Scots were beaten in straight games.
Another action-packed day awaits the Scottish contingent, with Kirsty Gilmour already underway at the time of writing and one game up against the Netherlands’ Weiland.
Alex Dunn and Julie MacPherson are set to take on Denmark’s Søby and Røjkjær, while both Grimley pairings and Julie and Ciara are still awaiting confirmation of their opponents.
With Scottish players continuing to make their mark across the draws, another exciting day of action lies ahead at the YONEX Belgian International.
You can watch all the action live on Badminton Europe TV.