Badminton: Martin Campbell has 'nothing to lose' in clash

Published on Friday 20 November 2009 10:14

EDINBURGH'S Martin Campbell made a bright start to the Bank of Scotland Scottish International Championships with a 21-14, 22-20 victory over Swiss-based Takahiro Hiramatsu yesterday at Glasgow's Kelvin Hall.

His reward is a second-round clash with the Glasgow No.9 seed, Kieran Merrilees, and a chance to prove that his move south to Loughborough this season has been the perfect launch to his first senior season.

A medallist at last year's Commonwealth Youth Games, 19-year-old Campbell is studying maths and management at Loughborough but admits that badminton is his main priority.

"I'm almost a full-time player, and there are about 15 of us in the High Performance Group," he said. "It's a great environment because there are so many top-class sports people."

Campbell suffered a back injury in the summer and this is his first singles tournament of the new season. But he reckons he has a real chance against Merrilees.

"He's the one under pressure and I definitely think I have a chance," said Campbell, the Bank of Scotland Scottish Under-19 Champion. "I've really got nothing to lose."

Merrilees, a 20-year-old from Glasgow, opened his account with a 21-11, 21-16 victory over England's Sam Phillips.

Gordon Thomson, the Scottish champion, also made it through to the last 32 against England's Robert Kettle 21-16, 16-21, 21-11.

Despite a hernia problem, the Glasgow player is determined to make today's second-round appointment with the Danish No.4 seed, Peter Mikkelsen.

In the women's doubles, Edinburgh's Jillie Cooper and Emma Mason get their championship underway today. Defending champion Cooper partners England's Samantha Ward and Mason teams up with Mariana Agathangelou, also of England.