Gilmour into last eight at European Games
Kirsty Gilmour is just one win away from securing another medal at a major event.
The 25-year-old is representing Team GB at the second edition of the European Games, being held in Minsk this week, and earlier today reached the quarter-finals of the women’s singles.
With all players who reach the semi-finals guaranteed to pick up a medal, one more win will secure the third seed a minimum of bronze to add to her ever growing medal haul.
Gilmour won three matches out of three in the group stages to qualify for the last-sixteen as Group C winner, beating Norway’s Elisa Wiborg, Lithuanian Vytaute Fomkinaite and Marie Batomene without dropping a set.
That put her into the round of last-sixteen today where she defeated Belgium’s Lianne Tan 21-13 21-16 to secure a quarter-final berth.
Gilmour now faces Sabrina Jaquet and although she can’t afford to underestimate a potentially difficult opponent, she can nevertheless take confidence in her ability to beat the Swiss having won seven out of their nine previous meetings.
Team GB’s other representative in women’s singles is Chloe Birch, who is also just one win away from a medal having beaten Batomene 21-15 21-15 earlier today, but she faces a tough test to reach the semi-finals when she plays second seed Mia Blichfeldt tomorrow.
Team GB also have a representative in the men’s singles in the form of Toby Penty, who reached the quarter-finals today courtesy of a good 21-12 21-11 win over rising Irish star Nhat Nguyen.
Penty faces Danish second seed Anders Antonsen next and will have to bring his A-game if he wants to reach the semi-finals and secure his first European medal.
In the men’s doubles second seeds Marcus Ellis and Chris Langridge will play Finland’s Anton Kaisti and Oskari Larkimo in the quarter-finals.
Ellis is also still in contention in the mixed doubles with Lauren Smith but the second seeds face a tough test to reach the semi-finals and must beat third seeds Mark Lamsfuss and Isabel Herttrich of Germany.
The top seeds in the mixed doubles are Chris and Gabby Adcock who play Danes Niclas Nohr and Sara Thygesen for a place in the semi-finals.
Birch and Smith are also still in contention in the women’s doubles against Turkey’s Bengisu Ercetin and Nazlican Inci later today.
Results and draws are at www.tournamentsoftware.com or www.minsk2019.by/en