2018 European Junior Championships Preview: Grimleys top seeds in boy’s doubles

The draws for the 2018 European Junior Championships have been released and Scottish duo Matthew and Christopher Grimley have top seeding in the boy’s doubles competition. Christopher is also seeded fourth in the boy’s singles.

Courtesy of their seeding, Matthew and Christopher will have a bye in the first round of the doubles competition, before they kick things off against the winner of Eero Lauri & Victor Lindahl vs Bartosz Galazka & Maciej Matusz, in the second round.

Elsewhere in the boy’s doubles draw, Joshua Apiliga and Adam Pringle will face up against the Croatia/Israel paring of Luka Grubic and Rotem Mogilner.

Joshua Apiliga and Christopher Grimley will also go in the boy’s singles. Fourth seed Grimley facing up against France’s Yanis Gaudin after a first round bye, while Joshua Apiliga will take on Maxim Grinblat.

Scotland will have representation from two pairs in the girl’s doubles, with both Scottish pairs – Lauren Middleton & Sarah Sidebottom and Rachel Andrew & Rachel Sugden – managing to avoid drawing seeded opposition in the first round, though they will still face tough tests up against pairs from Finland and Sweden respectively.

Rachel Sugden is facing a difficult draw in girl’s singles – if she is able to secure a victory in her first match, she will most likely come up against first seed Reka Madarasz in her second. Her compatriot, Lauren Middleton, will also face seeded opposition in the form of Bulgaria’s ninth seed Hristomira Popovska.

Joshua Apiliga could be particularly busy, as he partners Sarah Sidebottom in the mixed doubles, where Adam Pringle & Rachel Andrew also feature, as Scottish talents contest every event. Both XD pairs will be looking to emulate the efforts of Alex Dunn and Eleanor O’Donnell, who secured a silver medal in last year’s competition.

Photo Credit: Badminton Europe/Mark Phelan