Turkiye’s Neslihan Arin overcame No.8 seed Kaloyana Nalbantova in a 74-minute thriller to make the second round of the 2025 European Championships.
World No.53 Arin recovered from a second game loss and edged Nalbantova in the third after the Bulgarian nearly caught up with her after trailing 15-19. Up next for Arin will be Spain’s Clara Azurmendi.
Antonsen Pulls Out
Anders Antonsen
Top seed Anders Antonsen was unable to attempt a defence of his title at the 2025 European Championships. The Dane was favourite to win again, especially in the absence of compatriot Viktor Axelsen who was withdrew last week following a back surgery.
Antonsen was set to begin his campaign on Wednesday against Ukraine’s Oleksii Titov, but was forced to withdraw due to severe stomach issues.
“It is with great regret that I have to withdraw,” said Antonsen in a statement. “I have been sick since Sunday and unfortunately haven’t been able to recover yet. I was really looking forward to playing at home in front of the Danish crowd. I know that Badminton Denmark and the organisers have put a lot of effort into creating the best possible event for players and fans, and that’s why this withdrawal hurts even more.”
Thygesen Keeps Going
Sara Thygesen and Debora Jille
Sara Thygesen, playing her last international tournament, faced compatriots Amalie Cecilie Kudsk and Signe Schulz, who are playing their first European Championships together.
Thygesen and Dutch partner Debora Jille overcame a close second game loss to enter the next round with a 21-18 20-22 21-9 score in a match that swung back and forth before they found their rhythm and control in the third game.
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