Kicklitz Falls to Weng in German Open Badminton Round of 16

Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany – February 26, 2026 – Matthias Kicklitz (SV Fun-Ball Dortelweil) suffered a defeat in the round of 16 at the YONEX German Open Badminton Championships, losing to Weng Hong Yang of China in straight sets.

Match Details

The three-time German champion lost to the fifth-seeded Weng Hong Yang with scores of 15:21 and 12:21 on Thursday, February 26, 2026. Despite the loss, Kicklitz expressed a positive sentiment about the experience.

“It wasn’t a subpar game, but I had hoped for a little more,” Kicklitz said after the match. “This was my first time in the main field and the support was cool. Playing in front of your own audience and having the whole audience behind you is mega. I’m still a little disappointed.”

Kicklitz’s Path to the Round of 16

Kicklitz earned his place in the main draw through a wildcard opportunity. He previously defeated Kalle Koljonen of Finland (world ranking number 53) in his opening match on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, with a score of 23:21, 11:21, 21:4.

German Team Performance

Hannes Käsbauer, the head national coach of the German Badminton Association (DBV), acknowledged the team’s performance at the tournament. “Unfortunately, we didn’t reach the quarter-finals again. Especially because this is a home tournament and the atmosphere is so good, that’s a shame. Of course, our top people weren’t there in the women’s singles and mixed doubles, but we still had a lot of people in action. And we also had our chances!”

Käsbauer also highlighted Miranda Wilson’s successful qualification and the promising performance of the mixed doubles teams on Wednesday.

Looking Ahead

Käsbauer emphasized the DBV’s commitment to developing young talent. “We have young talents and will consistently continue on the path we have chosen and continue to perform hard to do better in the near future.”

Quarterfinalists

The YONEX German Open 2026 quarterfinals, beginning on February 27, 2026, will feature Weng Hong Yang, as well as French players Christo Popov and Toma Junior Popov, and Danish duo Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen. Gabriela Stoeva and Stefani Stoeva of Bulgaria, and Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet from Hong Kong are also competing.

Event Information

The YONEX German Open 2026 is a HSBC BWF World Tour Super 300 event with a prize pool of $250,000. Further information, including the schedule and ticket prices, is available on the official event website: www.german-open-badminton.de. YONEX is the main and title sponsor for the 38th consecutive year, with additional support from Westenergie.