Beijing, July 21:
Bolstered by her Japan Open triumph, India’s PV Sindhu will spearhead the country’s challenge at the China Open Super 1000 tournament starting on Tuesday, but Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will miss the event as the former continues to recover from a shoulder injury.
India’s badminton contingent will look to build on a productive week on the BWF World Tour, with Sindhu returning to China in red-hot form after capturing her first title in nearly two years.
The two-time Olympic medallist enjoyed a flawless campaign in Japan, defeating three-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi in the final and winning all her matches in straight games.
The 2016 China Open champion will look to carry that momentum into the tournament, where she opens her campaign against compatriot Unnati Hooda.
Sindhu could face fourth seed Chen Yu Fei of China in the second round. The Tokyo Olympic champion retired with a hamstring injury during her Japan Open semifinal last week and is scheduled to begin her campaign against Japan’s Natsuki Nidaira, provided she recovers in time.
Devika Sihag is the other Indian in the women’s singles draw and will begin her campaign against Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan.
Satwik and Chirag, who won the Singapore Open Super 750 last month but withdrew from the Japan Open after Satwik’s recurring shoulder injury flared up, have opted to skip the China Open to focus on regaining full fitness ahead of the World Championships, which return to India after 17 years.
The men’s singles draw features Lakshya Sen, Paris Olympics semifinalist, world No. 24 Ayush Shetty and experienced campaigner HS Prannoy.
Lakshya will look to bounce back from his opening-round exit at the Japan Open when he takes on Japan’s Yushi Tanaka. Ayush faces Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan, while Prannoy, the 2023 World Championships bronze medallist, will meet Malaysia’s Leong Jun Hao.
India’s challenge in the mixed doubles will be led by Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila, who face China’s fifth seeds Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui in the opening round.
The pairing of Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde will take on top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping.
In the men’s doubles, Hariharan Amsakarunan and M.R. Arjun face China’s fourth-seeded pair of Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang in their opener.