Indian shuttlers, spearheaded by two-time , will be eager to bounce back from recent setbacks and deliver strong performances at the French Open Super 750 badminton tournament starting on Tuesday.
Sindhu faces a tough opening test against South Korea’s top seed An Se Young in the women’s singles first round. The Indian star was initially slated to face the world No. 1 at the Denmark Open last week, but a draw reshuffle pitted her against Germany’s Yvonne Li, leading to an unexpected early exit. Sindhu must raise her level significantly to push the Korean world champion.
In men’s singles, sixth seed will lock horns with Japan’s Kodai Naraoka. The Almora native previously defeated Naraoka while recovering from a back issue, helping India win an Asian Games team bronze, though his recent circuit form has faltered.
Elsewhere in the men’s draw, former world No. 1 has looked sharp and troubled his opponents. Last week, he pushed reigning world champion Alex Lanier hard with his superior net play before letting the match slip away.
Srikanth will be aiming to build on the momentum when he faces compatriot Ayush Shetty in a clash between two generations.
Satwik-Chirag and Treesa-Gayatri look to lead India’s campaign
In men’s doubles, premier duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty aim to regain top form following their impressive start to the year. However, their shock early exit from the Asian Games was a dampener, and they will hope to bounce back when they face French brothers Christo Popov and Toma Junior Popov.
World Championships bronze medalists Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand headline the women’s doubles action against Taiwan’s Lin Chih-Chun and Yang Chu Yun.
The women’s singles draw features several young Indian talents across the first round. Tanvi Sharma faces Isharani Baruah in an all-Indian matchup, while Ashmita Chaliha takes on China’s Han Qian Xi. Unnati Hooda meets Japan’s Riko Gunji, and Devika Sihag goes up against fifth seed Putri Kusuma Wardani of Indonesia.
After a poor Asian Games outing for the Indian badminton stars, the French Open Super presents a good chance to bounce back.