Arctic Open: Gunawan, Popov Clash Early
A month after his breakthrough triumph at the China Masters, Jason Gunawan faces a stern first round test at CLASH OF CLANS Arctic Open 2026 when he takes on world No.2 Christo Popov.
· BWF STAFF
The pair have met three times, with Popov holding a 2-1 head-to-head advantage after winning their two most recent encounters. The winner will need to negotiate a formidable route through the bottom half of the draw, with Anders Antonsen, Lin Chun-Yi and Li Shi Feng all in the same section.
In the top half, Chou Tien Chen will begin his bid for a third consecutive Arctic Open title. Standing in his way in that side of the draw is No.1 seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn, the recent Asian Games champion.
Mixed doubles could also produce an early repeat of the China Masters final. Champions Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping open against Jesper Toft/Amalie Kudsk, while Hoo Pang Ron/Lai Pei Jing face fellow Malaysians Chen Tang Jie/Chan Wen Tse.