Hall and Dunn learn their fate
Paisley’s Adam Hall and partner Alex Dunn have been handed an enticing opening match to this month’s European Championships after the draw was made for the competition.
They will face off against the Netherlands’ Jelle Maas and Robin Tabeling in the first round, a pair they have never previously come across together – although Hall and then partner, Peter Mills, defeated them in the semi-finals of the 2016 Scottish Open.
The two pairs are separated by just seven places in the rankings, with the Scottish duo sitting a few places below in 49th, ahead of a match that has the potential to go all the way when the tournament gets underway in Huelva, Spain, next Monday.
If Dunn and Hall are successful in their quest to reach the second round then it’s likely they will face top seeds Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen.
Kirsty Gilmour will also compete in Spain but has received a bye straight through to the second round of the women’s singles.
The Scottish No. 1 has had to settle for a silver medal in each of her last two appearances at the competition having been pipped to gold by Carolina Marin on both occasions.
As second seed, Gilmour will only meet tournament favourite Marin should they both get to the final, with the Scot’s first opponent yet to be revealed.
Either Dane Mette Poulsen or Norway’s Elisa Wiborg will be on the opposite side of the net in the second round, with the former a constant presence inside the world’s top-50 over the past 12 months.
Badminton Scotland chief executive Anne Smillie said: “We’re really looking forward to seeing how all three do, with Alex and Adam given difficult matches early on in their draw which gives them a chance to test themselves against top opposition.”