Despite the post-European Games blues — and fatigue —, some of the athletes that were in Poland last week have joined other Europeans and players from all around the world in Calgary, Canada, to compete in the YONEX Canada Open 2023.
Now two days into the tournament, European players have delivered outstanding performances in the first round of the main draw.
Julien Carraggi continues his year of remarkable achievements with an impressive display at the YONEX Canada Open. After navigating through two qualification rounds, the Belgian player faced Japan's Kanta Tsuneyama, currently ranked 14th in the world.
Carraggi emerged victorious with a three-game triumph, 21-16, 19-21, 21-15. Moving into the Round of 16, he will be facing Israel's Misha Zilberman, with the opportunity to advance to the quarterfinals to secure a medal in his debut Super 500 tournament.
In another sensational upset, Germany’s Fabian Roth delivered a stunning win against two-time world champion Kento Momota. Roth won against his Japanese opponent in straight games, 21-17 21-16. The road ahead won't be easy as he will be facing China's Li Shi Feng in today's Round of 16 clash.
Jan Louda, playing his opening match in the main draw, got off to great start against China's Weng Hong Yang. The Czech player won in straight games, 22-20 21-12. Today, Louda is set to face Japan's Kodai Naraoka.