by Wade Townsend

The number one seeds Yuya Oshima and Masataka Morizono will have to be on their game in the first round of the Men’s doubles, having drawn preliminary qualifiers Andrej Gacina (CRO) and Marcos Frietas (POR).

Either combination has the potential of medal here in Düsseldorf, and will have to overcome a difficult first hurdle on their way to the podium. While the players may be regretting the draw, the fans will certainly be happy.

Meanwhile, the superstar pairing of Timo Boll (GER) and Ma Long (CHN) are up against the Hungarian duo of Tamas Lakatos and Kriztian Nagy. The dream team lineup will be getting their first taste of competition here in Düsseldorf, with Boll especially looking to keep the home crowd happy.

In the women’s draw, the top seeds Matilda Ekholm (SWE) and Gerorgina Pota (HUN) will face stiff competition against the defensive duo of Tetyana Bilenko (UKR) and Viktoria Pavlovich (BLR). With attack and defence and four different countries represented on the court, the match will certainly provide something for everyone.

Japanese fans will get their first glimpse of Kasumi Ishikawa and Miu Hirano the giant slayer in action as they will be taking the court against Thailand’s Orawan Paranang and Suthasini Sawettabut. The Chinese coaching staff may also be watching the match with eager eyes.

Checkout the full Men’s Doubles and Women’s doubles here.