The best of Europe’s Standing full-court singles players bid for a chance at a Paralympic medal in Tokyo next week. This is what to look out for

Lucas Mazur took six international titles and the World Championships gold in his bid to lead the Race to Tokyo Paralympic qualifying list. The world number one in SL4 men’s singles dominated throughout 2019-2020 in fact he has failed to make the final of any BWF event just once since early 2018.

The Frenchman is the top seed in Group A next week, joined by Suhas Yathiraj (IND) and doubles specialists Hary Susanto (INA) and Germany’s Jan-Niklas Pott.

Mazur’s mixed doubles partner Faustine Noel is the only European player to feature in all three events in Tokyo. Qualifying for women’s doubles, mixed doubles and singles is huge achievement. 

The largest field with 13 players in SL4 women’s singles, sixth seed Noel will have her work cut out for her in a group that features both Indonesian’s Khalimatus Sadiyah and the hugely impressive Leani Oktila who is the current world number one in all three disciplines.

Helle Sagoey (NOR) has the most comfortable of the four groups as third seed, whilst Germany’s Katrin Siebert has a good chance of advancing to the knockout stages in Group D.

Read: Plenty of energy on the first day of the 2021 BEC Para badminton Event

Five nations, five chances in SU5

Poland’s European Champion Bartłomiej Mroz is set to face the only other European, Meril Loquette (FRA) in Group A. Both men capable of causing an upset but they will have to be at their best to prevent the top three players in the world from clinching gold.

They are joined in their group by two of the favourites, Indonesian World Champion Dheva Anrimusthi and his compatriot World silver medallist Suryo Nugroho.

In the women’s singles Denmark’s Cathrine Rosengren will need do something special to make the final, she will need to record her first victory over either Japan’s Ayako Suzuki or China’s Yang Qiuxia. Something the Dane has come close to but is yet to achieve.

Dutchwoman Megan Hollander and the up-and-coming Beatriz Monteiro (POR) will be fighting as underdogs in Group C with Yang, for a chance to exit the group and compete for the later rounds.

The Paralympic badminton schedule was released earlier today, a link to the start of play from Wednesday 01 September can be found here

We will feature Tokyo 2020 Paralympic badminton here and across our usual platforms over the next two weeks, look out for more in days to come