Scottish Stars Impress with Semi-Final Run and Strong Qualifying Displays at Polish International

22nd September 2025 by Robert McLean

Scotland’s badminton contingent enjoyed a successful week at the Polish International in the picturesque city of Krakow, with a series of promising performances showcasing the depth of emerging talent.

The standout result came in the Mixed Doubles, where newly formed pairing Brooke Stalker and Adam Pringle put together a superb run to the semi-finals. The duo showed composure and chemistry throughout the tournament before falling to the eventual champions, Shuji Sawada and Aya Tamaki of Japan. It was an encouraging breakthrough for the pair, who will take great confidence from this result.

In Men’s Singles, James Robertson was another standout performer. Battling through three hard-fought rounds of qualifying, he earned a well-deserved place in the main draw. There, he faced Cheng-Han Tsai of Chinese Taipei (WR 224) and pushed him all the way in a tight three-set match, eventually losing 19-21, 21-10, 21-15.

Young talents Finlay Jack and Matthew Waring also picked up valuable wins in qualifying, though both narrowly missed out on advancing to the main draw. Meanwhile, Scotland’s No.1 Men’s Singles player Callum Smith was already in the main draw and put in a strong performance against sixth seed Dimitar Yanakiev of Bulgaria. In a fiercely contested encounter, Smith edged the first set but ultimately went down 15-21, 21-15, 21-19.

Unfortunately, there was no Scottish representation in Women’s Doubles this week as Ishbel McCallister was forced to withdraw due to injury. The team sends their best wishes for a speedy recovery.

With eyes now turning toward the Victor Croatian International, starting this Thursday, Scotland’s players will look to build on the momentum and experience gained in Krakow.