When Eurasia Bulgarian Open 2018 commences tomorrow on August 13, 21-year-old Mariya Mitsova will step on court seeded third in women’s singles.
In the edition of 2017, Mitsova held a seeding as well but was prevented from round 2 by Vaishnavi Reddy Jakka. This year, she is hopes to make it further, but keeps the expectations low;
- I keep my expectations limited to performing well, since if I achieve that, the result will also be good, Mitsova told Badminton Europe.
The first day of the tournament is the qualifiying stage, whereas Mitsova will pay her first round against Anastasiia Pustinskaia from Russia on Tuesday. She is also competing in mixed doubles with Alex Vlaar and their first match will be the first of the day.
Homecoming
The European champions Gabriela Stoeva and Stefani Stoeva, also from Bulgaria, will also return to their home country for this tournament as first seeds in the women’s doubles category. Mitsova is excited to play in her home country but it also comes with pressure.
- I am looking forward to it as I get the chance to play an international tournament in my home country only once or twice a year. It’s always nice to play in front of a home crowd including friends and family but it also puts me under more pressure as I want to perform at my very best, says Mitsova.
- 2018 honestly hasn’t been my best year so far. I’ve had a few obstacles on my way including a surgery on both feet, so my goal now is to train hard, get back to my best shape and achieve some better results.
Find the draws and schedules for Eurasia Bulgarian Open 2018 here