If the 2006 world mixed doubles champion and new partner Jenny Wallwork are to capture the title he won with Gail Emms in Madrid, he will almost certainly have to get past defending champions Thomas Laybourn and Kamilla Rytter Juhl in the third round.
He and Wallwork start against Valeriy Atrashchenkov and Elena Prus of Ukraine and can be expected to reach the third round before facing the Danes, who also won the European title in April in Manchester, where Robertson and Wallwork won the bronze medal.
Ironically, the England squad flew to Copenhagen today for a week's practice against the Danes.
In the men’s doubles 2009 Singapore Open winners Robertson and Anthony Clark meet 10th seeds and 2005 world champions Tony Gunawan and Howard Bach in the first round with the prospect of facing 2006 and 2009 world champions and fifth seeds Fu Haifeng and Cai Yun of China in the third round. The Chinese pair beat Clark and Robert Blair in that 2006 final in Madrid.
Chris Langridge and Robin Middleton received a first-round bye but will face Chinese fourth seeds Guo Zhendong and Xu Chen in the men’s doubles second round while England’s other mixed doubles pair, Chris Adcock and Gabby White, face India’s Diju V and Jwala Gutta in the first round.
European bronze medallist Rajiv Ouseph faces Dutch No. 1 Eric Pang in a tricky first round. A win there should earn him a rematch with 11th seed Jan O Jorgensen, the Dane who beat him in the European Championship semi-finals in Manchester in April.
Carl Baxter meets Slovakia’s Mikal Matejka in the first round with Thailand ninth seed Boonsak Ponsana his likely second-round opponent.
In the women’s doubles Leeds pair Wallwork and White begin against Canada’s Milaine Cloutier and Valerie St Jacques with a win earning them a difficult contest against 10th seeds and European silver medallists Petya Nedelcheva of Bulgaria and Anastasia Russkikh of Russia.
The Championships begin at the Coubertin Stadium on August 23.
Draw includes:
Men’s singles 1st round:
Rajiv Ouseph v Eric Pang (Ned)
Carl Baxter v Mikal Matejka (Svk)
Men’s doubles 1st round:
Nathan Robertson & Anthony Clark v (10) Tony Gunawan & Howard Bach (USA)
Chris Langridge & Robin Middleton bye
Women’s doubles 1st round:
Jenny Wallwork & Gabby White v Milaine Cloutier & Valerie St Jacques
Mixed doubles:
Nathan Robertson & Jenny Wallwork v Valeriy Atrashchenkov & Elena Prus (Ukr)
Chris Adcock & Gabby White v (9) Diju V & Jwala Gutta (Ind)
To view the draw click here.