After an eventful day two at the HYLO Open 2025, we are now ready for the round of 16. Following a day filled with great matches, heartbreaks, and big surprises, tomorrow promises even more excitement. Spoiler alert: there’s a lot to look forward to!
The day started with one of the most anticipated matches — defending champion Christo Popov against Lakshya Sen. It was a match full of great rallies and high-quality badminton, but unfortunately, that wasn’t what grabbed most of the attention. Popov experienced what several players have reported during the event — a slippery court. This seemed to cause him to overextend, leaving him struggling to find his footing and confidence for the rest of the match.
Lakshya Sen won the match 21-16 22-20.
Many players and commentators expressed concern on social media about the court conditions and player safety. Christo was able to play later in doubles with his brother, where they won their match.
Another controversial clash came between Kaloyana Nalbantova and Malaysia’s Selvaduray Kisona. After losing the first game 21-9, Nalbantova found her rhythm in the second, leading comfortably and earning five game points at 21-15. But her opponent fought back, saving three of them. At 20-18, Nalbantova got herself into a strong position, played at the net, and went for the kill shot — shouting in triumph as the shuttle landed on her opponent’s side. However, her celebration was cut short when the umpire called a fault, claiming her racket had crossed the net — a controversial decision that left the Bulgarian visibly upset.
She went on to lose the next few points, and thus the match. Frustrated, she threw her racket after the final point and argued with the umpire, prompting her coach to call for the tournament referee. Nalbantova received a yellow card for misconduct. Later, she posted a single word on social media: “Fault,” clearly indicating her disagreement with the umpire’s decision.
The last match of the day brought the biggest surprise — Kalle Koljonen against Chou Tien Chen. The two had met earlier this year at the US Open, where world number six Chou defeated Koljonen in straight games. This time, however, Koljonen was ready to fight. He challenged Chou’s endurance in a gruelling one-hour-and-nine-minute battle and came out on top, winning 21-19 19-21 21-18 to book his ticket to the round of 16.
Here are some of the key matches to watch in tomorrow’s round of 16:
Men’s singles
Rasmus Gemke vs Alex Lanier
Kiran George vs Toma Junior Popov
Kalle Koljonen vs Nhat Nguyen
Women’s singles
Polina Buhrova vs Line Christophersen
Women’s doubles
Stefani Stoeva / Gabriela Stoeva vs Natasja Anthonisen / Cecilie Kudsk
Mixed doubles
Mads Vestergaard / Christine Busch vs Thom Gicquel / Delphine Delrue
Marvin Seidel / Thuc Nguyen vs Amri Syahnawi / Nita Violana Marwah
