YONEX Belgian International – Strong Scottish Contingent Ready for Action
8th September 2026 by Robert McLean
A strong Scottish contingent is in Nieuwpoort, Belgium this week for the YONEX Belgian International, a competitive International Challenge event on the European circuit.
With play set to begin tomorrow, several Scottish players will take to the courts across the qualifying rounds as they look to secure their places in the main draw and make an early impact on the tournament.
Scottish players set for qualifying action
Finlay Jack will be the first Scot into action, opening his men’s singles qualifying campaign on Court 1 against eighth seed Vasudevan of Germany. It will be a challenging opening test for Jack as he looks to progress through a competitive qualifying draw.
Later on the same court, Evan Kenny and Josh Taylor begin their men’s doubles qualifying campaign against Bulgaria’s Panev and Stoyanov. The Bulgarian pair, ranked 285 in the world, will provide a tough opening challenge for the Scottish partnership.
Over on Court 2, Matthew Waring starts his men’s singles qualifying campaign against German talent Saur. Waring will have his sights firmly set on progressing through qualifying and earning a place in the main draw.
Scottish interest then moves to Court 5, where Josh Taylor and Ishbel McCallister face the third seeds in mixed doubles qualifying, Sweden’s Molin and Öhling. Another difficult encounter awaits the Scottish pairing as they begin their campaign.
Court 5 will see an England versus Scotland battle, with James Robertson taking on England’s Luke Hall in what promises to be a competitive opening match for the Scot.
Rounding off the Scottish action on day one will be Ishbel McCallister and Brooke Stalker in the women’s doubles. Scheduled as the second-last match of the day on Court 5, the Scottish pair will face Dutch duo Bang and Odijk.
Strong Scottish seeds to follow
The remaining Scottish players will take to the courts on Thursday and Friday, with plenty of excitement surrounding their campaigns.
Kirsty Gilmour will lead the Scottish challenge in women’s singles, while the Grimley twins will compete in men’s doubles. Julie MacPherson and Ciara Torrance will contest the women’s doubles, while Alex Dunn and Julie MacPherson will combine in mixed doubles.
With all of these Scottish entries the top seeds in their respective events, there is genuine optimism that Scotland can challenge for medal success in Nieuwpoort this week.
The team will also be supported throughout the tournament by coach Raj Ouseph, adding valuable experience and guidance as the players look to produce their best performances on the European circuit.
With a mixture of experienced internationals, emerging talent and some exciting opening-round match-ups, there is plenty to look forward to as the YONEX Belgian International gets underway.
Stay tuned to our website and social media channels throughout the week for regular updates, results and reports from Nieuwpoort.