CWG 2010 – Individual draws released

After an overnight wait due to a post-draw check by relevant authorities, the draws of the five  individual events have been released this Sunday, with no surprise as top seeds had already been revealed.

By Raphael Sachetat. Photos (live by Sukumar and Archives by Badmintonphoto)

In the men’s singles, Lee Chong Wei is expected to cruise to the quarter-final where he’ll meet with Singapore’s Asthon Chen, before a probable clash with Chetan Anand, while Kashyap Parupalli (photo) and Rajiv Ouseph are likely to meet up in the lower semi-final.

In the women’s singles, Anna Rice has been granted a tough draw for her last international competition.  She is set to meet up with top seed and main favourite Saina Nehwal.  Wong Mew Choo, drawn in the other part should meet up with the gorgeous Karen Foo Kune for her first step into the competition after a bye, before a potential quarter against India’s Mutatkar and a semi against either England’s Elisabeth Cann or Xing Aiying of Singapore.

In the men’s doubles, Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong’s first big challenge will be the expected semi-final clash with Singapore’s Triyachart and Saputra, before their hoped-for showdown against either England’s Robertson/Clark or Kumar/Thomas.

In the women’s doubles, which might be the event with most potential winners, the upper part of the draw seems a bit tougher, with top seeds and Singapore Open heroines Yao/Sari drawn to meet England’s Wallwork/White as early as the semi-final, with other pairs hoping to play trouble makers such as Mason/Bankier of Scotland, who  enjoyed a nice walk under their colours last night with the rest of their delegation (pictured) or Balan/Mutatkar of India. The winner of this half will probably play Gutta and Ponnappa, who never the less have a tricky first match against Malaysia’s Chin Ei Hui, playing with Woon Khe Wei, who replaced Wong Pei Tty.  Unless England’s Olver/Agathangelou have their word to say about it…

In the mixed doubles, bad luck for Anthony Clark and Nathan Robertson, partners in men’s doubles, who may have to confront each other before the final they had probably dreamt of. They’re set to play against each other in the semis, Robertson with Wallwork and Clark with Olver, with two other trouble makers in the same half: Triyachart/Yao from Singapore and scratch pair of Koo/Chin from Malaysia.