London: A strong English squad heads to the YONEX German Open looking to run into form ahead of next week’s All England Championships.
The event in Mulheim an der Ruhr is the annual precursor to the sport’s oldest event, which takes place at the Barclaycard Arena between March 3-8.
Chris and Gabby Adcock, the world number six pair, lead the home charge in Germany.
The Adcocks, seeded third, will play Russia’s Vitalij Durkin and Nina Vislova on Wednesday evening.
Top seeds last year, the Milton Keynes duo were beaten by Rob Blair and Imogen Bankier in the second round. The previous year they reached the semi-finals and they will hope to mirror that performance this time around.
They are seeded to meet dangerous Danish pair, Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christinna Pedersen, in the semi-finals.
Elsewhere, two rising English pairs will hope to join the Adcocks in the main draw.
Harley Towler and Emily Westwood face Swedish top seeds Jonathan Nordh and Emelie Fabbeke in first round qualifying. Also competing are Christopher Coles and Sophie Brown.
National women’s doubles champions, Heather Olver and Lauren Smith, fresh from a runners-up place at the recently-concluded Austrian Open, face Hong Kong’s Chan Kaka Tsz Ka and Tse Ying Suet.
If the English pair can negate their Hong Kong opponents, they are scheduled to meet Christinna Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl, Denmark’s second seeds, in the second round.
Brown also features in the women’s doubles with partner Kate Robertshaw, with the unseeded pair facing Lee So Hee and Shin Seung Chan, Korea’s fourth seeds.
In the men’s doubles, Matthew Nottingham and Harley Towler face Danish pair Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen in the first round.
With eighth seeds Michael Fuchs and Johannes Schoettler having withdrawn from their home event, the draw could open up for the English pair if they can win their opening encounter.
Fontaine Chapman competes in qualification for the women’s singles main draw. She plays Swiss second seed, Sabrina Jaquet.
England will have no representatives in the men’s singles after Rajiv Ouseph, the England number one, withdrew last week.
Badminton England
