Toma Junior Popov Reaches Hylo Open Semifinals With Straight-Game Victory Over Arnaud Merkle
Toma Junior Popov advanced to the semifinals of the Hylo Open in Germany on Friday by defeating fellow Frenchman Arnaud Merkle 21-14, 21-15 in a straight-game match. The 13th-ranked singles player controlled the encounter from the outset, eliminating the 48th-ranked Alsatian competitor to secure his place in the tournament’s final four.
HYLO Open 2026MS – R1621 15 21 🇫🇷Toma Junior POPOV🥇17 21 19 🇧🇪Julien CARRAGGI🕚 in 68 minutes
The victory in Germany follows a strong period for the Popov family in international badminton. Christo Popov claimed the world number one ranking following his performance at the French Open on Monday, October 26, 2026. Toma Junior has maintained his momentum abroad, navigating through a difficult draw that included a tightly contested round-of-16 battle against Belgium’s Julien Carraggi.
Path to the Semifinals and Next Opponent
Having dispatched Merkle in Friday’s quarterfinals, Toma Junior Popov now prepares for a semifinal clash against either India’s 14th-ranked Lakshya Sen or Finland’s 67-ranked Kalle Koljonen.
Merkle entered the match looking to reverse his recent fortunes against the Popov family, having previously fallen to Christo Popov during the French Open. Against Toma Junior, however, the 48th-ranked player was unable to find an offensive rhythm.
Delphine Delrue and Thomas Gicquel Advance in Mixed Doubles
French success in Germany extended beyond the men’s singles draw. The mixed doubles pairing of Delphine Delrue and Thomas Gicquel secured their quarterfinal spot on Thursday by defeating Denmark’s Sofie Rojkjaer and Jeppe Soby in straight games, 21-15, 21-14.
The French duo faced the German pair of Thuc Phuong Nguyen and Marvin Seidel in the quarterfinals. Delrue and Gicquel have won both of their previous head-to-head matches against the German team. The pair entered Friday’s match aiming to put behind them the disappointment of the French Open, where they exited in the semifinals following a controversial red card at 19-19 in the decisive third set against China’s Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping for exceeding the 25-second time limit.
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