Badminton: Scots eager to make a racket in home event

Susan Egelstaff, the defending women's title-holder, has a bye into the second round, but Kieran Merrilees is a Scottish singles seed desperate to make his mark in today's opening rounds of the Bank of Scotland Scottish International Championships at Glasgow's Kelvin Hall.

strong>• Emma Mason, pictured, teams up with Jillie Cooper in the women's doubles at the Scottish International badminton championships Picture: SNS

The 21-year-old is the No 10 seed in the men's singles and should have a relatively easy opening match against Nigeria's Enojo Abah. His first real test could be against Germany's fifth seed, Marcel Reuter, in the last 16.

"I have had a disappointing couple of seasons," admitted Merrilees, who is keen to return from Scotland to the British training camp at Milton Keynes. "But I want to try and make the 2012 Olympics. I have to be one of the top two in Britain, but I definitely think I have a chance."

Merrilees' problem has been the inability to push home from a winning position.

It happened against India's Sourabh Verma at the Kelvin Hall last year and against Lithuania's Kestutis Navickas at the world championships in Paris in August. The Glaswegian hopes the backing of a home crowd will help him sustain the necessary concentration and confidence to make it to a first ever Bank of Scotland quarter-final.

In the women's event, Egelstaff has revenge on her mind as she attempts to repeat her great success of 12 months ago. She is seeded No 2 behind Liz Cann, the English veteran who won the title in 2008 and beat the Scot to win the bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi last month.

"I'd love to win the title again," said the Glasgow 28-year-old. "I feel I've been playing well and the new coaching regime in Scotland has been good for me.

"The qualifying for the Olympics starts in May and that is my main goal."

According to Scottish coach, Yvette Yun Luo, who took over the post from Dan Travers in January, Egelstaff is the Scot with the best chance of making the London 2012 Games, but the Chinese woman is confident that the next batch of youngsters will improve both the quality and quantity.

At 17, Kirsty Gilmour has already played for Scotland in the Uber Cup and Commonwealth Games and, according to Yun Luo, the Bothwell teenager is "the major one" for Scotland's future. She opens her singles campaign today against England's Alex Langley.

Martin Campbell and Angus Gilmour are also highly-promising. Both 20, they are the No 2 seeds in the men's doubles, while Longniddry 19-year-old, Paul van Reitvelde, joins England's Robert Blair as the No 6 seeds in the same event.

In the women's doubles, Edinburgh's Jillie Cooper, who won the title with England's Mariana Agathangelou two years ago, and Emma Mason are an exciting new combination.

Their goal is to at least make it to the last eight, where they should meet the current top British pair of Jenny Wallwork and Gabby White.

In the mixed doubles, Imogen Bankier, who won the title with Blair three years ago, is the No 2 seed with another Englishman, Chris Adcock. Unfortunately, the Glasgow 23-year-old has been dogged by injury but, if she finds the right partner, she definitely has the ability to make the Olympics.