Matthew Nottingham admits he is being thrown straight in at the deep end as he bids to reach the main draw of next week’s Yonex All-England Open Badminton Championships.
The Wilmslow-based ace, and men’s doubles partner Chris Coles, must first get through a tough qualifying section in order to win a place alongside the finest players in the world at the prestigious event in Birmingham.
Having suffered a surprise early exit at last month’s English National Badminton Championships, Nottingham and Coles have been training hard to ensure they have the best chance possible of reaching the main draw, something Nottingham says has always been his dream.
“I have been to it every year, I always get tickets and my mum and dad come with me,” revealed the 20-year-old. “I am always like ‘wow I really want to play there’ and now I am getting a chance to do it.
“Playing in front of the crowd will be a completely different experience for me and I am really looking forward to it.
“The top European pairs who didn’t get into the main event are in the qualifying so it is as tough as going into a tournament and playing a semi-final and a final.
“That is how tough it is, it isn’t playing first-round, second-round, quarters – it is the semi-final and you are in.”
Experience it yourself with tickets for the Yonex All England Open Badminton Championships available at www.allenglandbadminton.com to call the box office on 0844 444 9994.
Image courtesy of Sportsbeat, via YouTube, with thanks
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