Scottish stars continue impressive Arctic Open run in Vantaa

7th October 2026 by Robert McLean

Another action-packed day in Finland saw Scotland’s players produce more impressive performances against world-class opposition, with the Grimley twins and Alex Dunn and Adam Pringle both progressing to the last 16.

Scotland’s challenge at the CLASH OF CLANS Arctic Open continued in impressive fashion on Day 2, with three Scottish pairings taking to the court in Vantaa and all three putting in performances to remember.

While Julie and Ciara narrowly missed out against China’s fifth seeds, the Grimley twins continued their remarkable form before Alex Dunn and Adam Pringle secured a thrilling three-game victory over England’s Zach Russ and Alex Green.

Julie and Ciara push Chinese seeds all the way

First into action were Julie and Ciara, who faced a tough test against China’s fifth-seeded pairing of Bao and Cao.

The Chinese duo made the quicker start and took the opening game 21-14, putting the Scottish pair under early pressure.

However, Julie and Ciara responded brilliantly in the second game. The Scots refused to let their opponents pull away and battled their way to 19-all, setting up a tense finish.

Bao and Cao ultimately held their nerve, taking the next two points to close out the match, but the second-game performance will give Julie and Ciara plenty of encouragement.

Going toe-to-toe with one of the tournament’s seeded pairings demonstrated that the Scottish duo are capable of competing with the very best in women’s doubles.

Grimley twins march into the last 16

There was no such drama for Matt and Chris Grimley, who continued their excellent run of form with another commanding performance.

The twins faced Finnish qualifiers Honkanen and Paul, but from the opening rally it was the Scottish pair who dictated the contest.

Matt and Chris controlled the match from start to finish, racing to a convincing 21-8 victory in the opening game before producing another dominant display to take the second by the same score.

A 21-8, 21-8 victory sends the Grimley’s into the last 16 and keeps their Arctic Open campaign firmly on track.

Dunn and Pringle win another chapter in England rivalry

The final Scottish match of the day provided the biggest drama as Alex Dunn and Adam Pringle faced England’s rising partnership of Zach Russ and Alex Green.

There was already plenty of history between the two pairs. Russ and Green defeated the Scots at last year’s Irish Open, before Dunn and Pringle gained revenge when the two teams met again at the Scottish Open a week later.

The latest meeting proved every bit as competitive.

Alex and Adam took the opening game 21-15, but the English pair responded strongly in the second, levelling the match with a 21-14 game.

That set up a deciding third game, where the Scots regained control and produced another strong performance to take it 21-15.

The 21-15, 14-21, 21-15 victory sees Dunn and Pringle advance to the last 16 and adds another memorable chapter to what is becoming an intriguing rivalry.

Another huge day ahead

There is little time to rest, with another packed schedule awaiting the Scottish players tomorrow.

Kirsty faces China’s third seed Han, who has won all four previous meetings between the pair on tour. Kirsty will be looking to turn that record on its head after coming into the match in strong form.

The Grimley twins face Thailand’s Sukphun and Teeraratsakul in what promises to be one of the closest matches of the men’s doubles draw. Matt and Chris won their previous meeting with the Thai pair at the 2024 Canada Open and will be hoping for another positive result.

Alex Dunn and Adam Pringle will discover their next opponents after the meeting between eighth-seeded Chinese pair Lin and Hu and France’s Maio and Villeger.

Rounding off another bumper day for the Scottish contingent will be Alex and Julie, who face a huge test against third seeds Jiang and Wei of China.

With the Grimley’s and Dunn and Pringle already safely through to the last 16, and more big matches still to come, the Scottish challenge in Vantaa is gathering plenty of momentum.

All the action can be watched live on BWF TV – BWF TV – YouTube