This week, the TOYOTA Thailand Open 2019 will take place, giving European players one last chance to prepare for the TOTAL BWF World Championships next month.
The tournament will take place from Tuesday 30 July to Sunday 4 August.
It is the third tournament of the HSBC BWF World Tour Asian section, following tournaments in Indonesia and Japan.
From Tokyo to Bangkok
Despite some players dropping off the tour after the DAIHATSU YONEX Japan Open 2019, there is still a respectable number of players continuing onto Bangkok, Thailand.
In the men’s singles category, Mark Caljouw (NED) and Misha Zilberman (ISR) will play against Thai and Indian opponents, while Frenchmen Lucas Claerbout and Thomas Rouxel will have to go to through the qualification.
In women’s singles, Russia’s Evgeniya Kosetskaya will play against Lyanny Alessandra Mainaky from Indonesia while Yvonne Li (GER) has a tough first round as she will take on the World No 6 and home favourite, Ratchanok Intanon.
For men’s doubles, Europe has three pairs in Thailand. Mark Lamsfuss/Marvin Seidel (GER) will play against the World No. 6 ranked pair, Han Cheng Kai/Zhou Hao Dong (CHN). Vladimir Ivanov/Ivan Sozonov (RUS) will have the challenge of Marcus Fernaldi Gideon/Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo, who has won both the Indonesia Open and Japan Open, in the past weeks.
Looking at the women’s doubles, Europe has four pairs in total. Ekaterina Bolotova/Alina Davletova (RUS), Emilie Lefel/Anne Tran and Lea Palermo/Delphine Delrue (FRA) are all, ready the first round while Linda Efler/Isabel Herttrich (GER) will begin their campaign in the qualification.
Finally, Europe is well-represented in the mixed doubles event, as six pairs are in the draws. Both Denmark’s Mathias Christiansen/Alexandra Boje as well as Russia’s Rodion Alimov/Alina Davletova have benefitted from withdrawals and subsequently been being promoted from the qualification to the main draw. Here they will join fellow-Europeans Thom Gicquel/Delphine Delrue (FRA), Marvin Seidel/Linda Efler and Mark Lamsfuss/Isabel Herttrich (GER), while France’s Ronan Labar/Anne Tran will have to battle their way through qualification.
You can see all of the draws here