YONEX Bulgarian International Championship: Scottish Contingent Ready for Sofia Challenge
30th September 2026 by Robert McLean
A strong Scottish contingent has arrived in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia ahead of the YONEX Bulgarian International Championship, with the Future Series event set to get underway tomorrow.
There will be Scottish interest from the very first day of action, with Finlay Jack and Benedict Tan both taking to court in men’s singles qualifying as they look to secure their places in the main draw.
Jack Faces Close Qualifying Contest
Finlay Jack will begin his campaign against Portuguese teenager Alexandre Bernardo in the men’s singles qualifying round of 64.
The two players are closely matched in the world rankings, setting up what promises to be a competitive opening-round encounter. Jack will be hoping to use his experience and consistency to edge what could be a closely fought contest and progress through to the next stage of qualifying.
Later in the day’s schedule, Benedict Tan will face another teenage opponent when he takes on Finland’s Elmeri Lybeck.
Lybeck will start the contest as the higher-ranked player and will therefore go into the match as favourite, but Tan will be looking to produce an early upset and put himself within touching distance of a place in the main draw.
Robertson and Waring Await Main Draw Action
Scotland’s remaining men’s singles representatives will enter the competition at the main-draw stage on Friday.
James Robertson will face the winner of qualifying match six, meaning his opponent will be confirmed once Thursday’s qualifying action has concluded.
For Matthew Waring, there is a familiar face waiting in the opening round.
Waring has been drawn against Bulgarian home favourite and fourth seed Dimitar Yanakiev, setting up a repeat of last year’s meeting between the two players at this very tournament.
That encounter went the way of Yanakiev, but only after an extremely close three-set battle. Waring will therefore have plenty of motivation heading into this year’s rematch as he looks to reverse last year’s result on his return to Sofia.
Adams and Flockhart Receive First-Round Bye
There is also Scottish representation in the men’s doubles, with Richard Adams and Calum Flockhart receiving a bye through to the last 16 of the main draw.
The Scottish pairing will face either Israel’s Grinblat and Silook or Bulgarian duo Ivanov and Stratiev in their opening match.
With a place in the quarter-finals at stake, Adams and Flockhart will be looking to make the most of their first-round bye and begin their campaign with a strong performance.
Follow the Action Live
With Scottish players competing across both singles and doubles, there will be plenty to follow from Sofia over the coming days.
Matches from the YONEX Bulgarian International Championship are available to watch live on YouTube: 🔴 YONEX Bulgarian International Championship 2026 | LIVESTREAM – YouTube
Best of luck to all the Scottish players competing in Sofia.