Former champion Lakshya Sen is set for an exciting all-Indian showdown against the rising star Ayush Shetty in the opening round of the India Open Super 750 badminton tournament. The tournament will take place at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium from January 13-18. Additionally, former world champion PV Sindhu will face Vietnam’s Thuy Linh Nguyen in the same round.
Venue Change and Significance
The India Open, a prestigious event on the HSBC BWF World Tour, will transition from the KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium to a larger multi-purpose hall within the Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex. This venue will also host the BWF World Championships in August later this year, allowing players to familiarize themselves with the conditions.
Challenging Openers for Indian Contingent
The Indian players were not granted an easy opening round. Lakshya’s match against former world junior bronze medallist Ayush Shetty means that only three of the four Indian men’s singles players will have a chance to advance to the next round. The winner of this clash could potentially face fourth seed Chou Tien Chen from Chinese Taipei or Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto in the second round.
In another singles matchup, former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth is set to compete against world No. 12 Lin Chun-Yi, a bronze medallist from the 2024 Taipei Thomas Cup. If he advances, a possible second-round opponent could be Christo Popov, who made history last month as the first French player to win the BWF World Tour Finals men’s singles title.
H S Prannoy, who entered the main draw following the withdrawal of Denmark’s Anders Antonsen, will begin his campaign against last edition’s finalist Lee Cheuk Yiu from Hong Kong.
Women’s Singles Battles
In the women’s singles, PV Sindhu will take on Nguyen, who has bested her in their last two encounters. Nguyen, currently ranked 22 in the world, is recognized as one of the most improved players on the circuit last year. Should Sindhu succeed, she would likely face second seed Wang Zhi Yi or her Chinese teammate Gao Fang Jie in the second round.
Malvika Bansod, making her return after a long injury layoff and competing with a protected ranking, will open against Pai Yu Po of Chinese Taipei.
Double Trouble in the Doubles Category
In the doubles events, former champions Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy have been given a comparatively easier opener against the USA’s Chen Zhi Yi and Presley Smith. Their first significant test may come in the quarter-finals if they face China’s eighth seeds Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi.
Two-time All-England semi-finalists Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will clash with Thailand’s Ornnicha Jongsathapornparn and Sukitta Suwachai, with a potential second-round matchup against Chinese seventh seeds Li Yi Jing and Luo Xu Min on the horizon.
In another intriguing opening-round bout, top seed An Se Young is set to face former world champion Nozomi Okuhara, while third seed Akane Yamaguchi will go against her fellow compatriot Riko Gunji.