The Singapore Open has started, and the European representation is from four European countries, Denmark, France, Scotland and Ireland.
Viktor Axelsen is coming into this tournament having reached the quarterfinals in Malaysia while Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen will be hoping that they can do better than they have done in recent tournaments.
Also competing in Singapore is Scotland’s Kirsty Gilmour, Mia Blichfeldt, Line Kjærsfeldt, Brice Leverdez from France, Hans Kristian Vittinghus, Jan Ø Jørgensen and the Irish siblings, Sam and Chloe Magee, as well as Russia's Evgeniya Kosetskaya, who will play Nozomi Okuhara.
Who is playing who?
In the Men’s Singles, Viktor Axelsen is set to play against Lin Dan, who won the Malaysia Open last week, something of a big test to see where the Dane is at.
Meanwhile, Anders Antonsen who has faced Shi Yuqi in the first two rounds at the last two tournaments will face Yuqi’s fellow countryman, Chen Long in the first round.
The other Men’s Singles from Denmark are playing Japnese and South Korean opponents, with Vittinghus playing against Kanta Tsuneyama and Jørgensen will play against Lee Dong Keun. Rasmus Gemke will play a successful qualifying player.
Brice Leverdez, from France, will be tested against H.S. Prannoy who he has an even record against, losing once and then beating his Indian opponent once too, which came at the YONEX Canada Open in 2016.
In the Men’s Doubles, Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen will play against Ramchandran Shlok/M.R Arjun from India, a pair who they have beaten, the one time that they have played them, which was at the YONEX-SUNRISE India Open in 2018.
In Women's Singles, there are just two players from Europe, Mia Blichfeldt, Line Kjærsfeldt and Kirsty Gilmour.
Blichfeldt is set to play against Gregoria Mariska Tunjung from Indonesia, the Indonesian has won both of the two meetings between the two players. Both defeats came in October in 2018, the YONEX French Open and shortly after, The DANISA Denmark Open.
Gilmour is going to play Busana Ongbamrungphan from Thailand. The Scot has met her opponent four times in the past and has won one of the matches, which came at the Victor Far East Malaysia Masters in 2016.
Finally, in Mixed Doubles, Sam and Chloe Magee, from Ireland have a tough test ahead of them, as they prepare to play the number four seeds from Hong Kong, Tang Chun Man/Tse Ying Suet. They do have history against the pair but it was a defeat at the Japan Open in 2018.