Second seeds Camille Pognante/Margot Lambert suffered a surprising exit in the Round of 16 at European Championships 2026, falling to Danish debutants Lærke Hvid/Anna Klausholm.
The young Danes dominated early, taking the first game convincingly 21-10. Although the French pair fought back in the second game, pushing it to a tense finish, Hvid and Klausholm held their nerve to seal a 22–20 victory and a straight games win.
The result marks a breakthrough moment for the Danish duo at their first European Championships, while it represents a disappointing early exit for Pognante and Lambert, one of the pre-tournament favourites.
The Popov brothers were among those to make a strong statement.
HSBC World Tour Finals champion Christo Popov produced a commanding display to defeat Czech Dominik Kopriva 21-5 21-16 while older brother Toma Junior Popov was equally convincing in a 21-12 21-11 win over German Kian-Yu Oei.
In women’s doubles, reigning champions Gabriela Stoeva/Stefani Stoeva began their title defence in composed fashion. The sisters overcame Debora Jille/Isabel Lohau 21-13 21-14, demonstrating their experience and cohesion to move to the next round.
Stefani also impressed in women’s singles, coming through a tightly-contested encounter against Sophia Noble of Ireland. She edged a competitive opening game 21-18 before saving game points in a dramatic second to collect a 27-25 win.
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