The STATE Denmark Challenge presented by RSL delivered a thrilling week of badminton, showcasing top European talent, but also highlighting the fierce competition they face from across Asia in this International Challenge event.

Early Rounds: Upsets and Highlights

After Thursday’s qualification rounds, Friday packed in both the first and second rounds, where several seeded players faced early exits. Ukraine’s Polina Buhrova, top seed in both singles and doubles, was a headline casualty—after a tough three-game win over Estonia’s Kristin Kuuba, she fell in round two to India’s Tanvi Sharma. In doubles, she and Yevheniia Kantemyr also exited early.

More surprises followed as Leo Rossi / Eloi Adam, fresh off a silver at the 2025 European Championships, were ousted in round two by Indonesia’s Muh Putra Erwiansyah/Daniel Edgar Marvino.

Among the positives for Europe, we welcomed the return of Anne Tran, playing alongside Elsa Jacob. Tran opened up about her recovery and new partnership in this interview:

 

A standout performer was Kaloyana Nalbantova, who played four matches in one day—two in singles and two in doubles—earning her a spot in two quarterfinals. Germany’s new pair Marvin Seidel/Thuc Nguyen also impressed with back-to-back wins.

Quarterfinals & Semifinals: Tight Matches, Big Names

Friday’s quarterfinals offered exciting matchups, including a crowd-pleaser between Arnaud Merkle and Denmark’s Magnus Johannesen, which saw the Frenchman prevail in style. Watch the top moments from the match here:
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However, Nalbantova’s run ended in the quarters, and Mads Christophersen, Denmark’s top men’s singles seed, narrowly escaped a thriller against Ditlev Jæger Holm before losing to Yen Chen Ting of Chinese Taipei in the semifinals.

In women’s doubles, Tran and Jacob bowed out, but Margot Lambert/Camille Pognante delivered a spectacular performance, saving three match points to beat Hiramoto/Ishikawa from Japan. Catch the highlights here:

Their momentum, however, didn’t carry through the semifinals, where they were stopped by another Japanese pair.

Finals Recap: Merkle Claims the Title

The finals delivered drama to the very end. While Danish duo Amalie Cecilie Kudsk/Rasmus Espersen fell short in their match, France’s Arnaud Merkle claimed the men’s singles title in spectacular fashion.

Facing three match points in the deciding game, Merkle held his nerve. On the final point, he turned to his coach Kęstutis Navickas and asked whether he should go for a flick serve. The calm reply? “No.” Merkle trusted the call—and moments later, he was crowned champion.

The other winners where:
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Women’s Singles (WS)
Tanvi Sharma (India)

Women’s Doubles (WD)
Winners: Mikoto Aiso / Momoha Niimi (Japan)

Mixed Doubles (XD)
Winners: Zaidan Arrafi Awal Nabawi / Jessica Maya Rismawardani (Indonesia)

Men’s Doubles (MD)
Winners: Raymond Indra / Nikolaus Joaquin (Indonesia)

 

Next Up: I FEEL SLOVENIA LI-NING Open 2025

The action doesn’t stop here. From 14–18 May, the I FEEL SLOVENIA LI-NING Open 2025 takes over—and as always, you can catch all the matches live on badmintoneurope.tv.