This year’s Badminton Europe Circuit starts in Estonia where the city of Tallinn hosts the 2013 Yonex Estonian International. From 10th January to 13th January, 147 players from 17 countries will compete for the titles.
 
This year there is added some interest for local badminton fans as Estonian number one shuttler Raul Must (pictured) is the top seed in the men's singles event. He is currently ranked number 72 on the BWF World rankings. After finishing as a runner-up in two previous years at the same tournament, Must will be hoping to do even better this time. Number two seed is Andrew Smith of England, who is currently ranked number 74 on the BWF World
rankings.
 
The top seed in the women's singles is Alesia Zaitsava of Belarus. She is ranked number 76 on the BWF World rankings. She is likely to face strong opposition from the rest of the field which also includes number two seed Marija Ulitina who is the 2012 Hungarian International winner and number four seed, young Dane Line Kjærsfeldt who recently won the 2012 Irish International. Estonian hope Laura Vana grabbed number eight seeding spot.
 
In the men’s doubles, Antoine Lodiot and Julien Maio of France are the highest ranked players in the competition being currently number 123 on the BWF rankings. In women’s doubles the first seeding spot belongs to the Russian pair Ksenia Polikarpova and Irina Hlebko. The Finnish pair Anton Kaisti and Jenny Nyström are the top seeds in the mixed doubles
draw.
 
The nations entered in Tallinn are Belarus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, Russia, Ukraine, USA.
 
Yonex Estonian International will be live streaming quarterfinals and semi finals as well as the finals from the streaming courts on Saturday and Sunday via event website www.badminton.ee/ei2013
 
For a full draw please click HERE.

To see all previous champions of the tournament click HERE.

Photo by BadmintonPhoto.