Hughes' challenge boosted by draw

Susan Hughes is seeded fourth in this competition

Scotland's Susan Hughes has been handed a boost with a favourable draw for this week's Bank of Scotland International Badminton Championships.

The Glasgow player begins her challenge on Friday when she faces the winner of a qualifying match played on Thursday.

Should she successfully negotiate this round, Hughes would then face either Swiss player Corinne Joerg or Germany's Karin Schnaase in the second round.

Hughes could then find herself facing eighth seed, Sara Persson of Sweden.

The news is less favourable for Paisley's Rita Yuan Gao, who faces a tricky first round tie against the Australian fifth seed Chia-Chi Huang. Yuan Gao and partner Craig Robertson face English pair Chris Adcock and Gabby White in the mixed doubles.

Also in the mixed doubles, Watson Briggs and Imogen Bankier have a bye in the first round before facing the Russians Alexander Nikolaenko and Nina Vislova. Defending women's champion, Russian Ella Karatchkova has teamed up with Larkhall's Keith Turnbull in an intriguing pairing.

Scotland's big hope in the women's doubles Emma Mason and Imogen Bankier, who were unlucky to miss out on a seeding, start against England's teenage pair of Gabby White and Mariana Agathangelou.

Alistair Casey, the recent Samoan International winner, faces Scott Evans of Ireland in the men's singles, while East Kilbride's Craig Goddard faces Sweden's Magnus Sahlberg.