Post by : Meena Ariff

The stage is set for an intense competition as Indian shuttlers prepare to compete at the prestigious Yonex-Sunrise India Open Super 750 tournament, taking place in Delhi from January 13 to 18. Hosted at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, this tournament promises exhilarating badminton matches and will also act as a vital preparation for the upcoming BWF World Championships, scheduled at the same venue in August.

PV Sindhu, the former world champion, faces a challenging opening match against Vietnam’s Thuy Linh Nguyen, a player who has defeated her twice in recent encounters. Ranked 22nd in the world, Nguyen has shown remarkable progress in the past year, setting the stage for a highly competitive clash. If Sindhu advances, she will face either the second seed Wang Zhi Yi or her Chinese teammate Gao Fang Jie in the second round.

Lakshya Sen, who won the tournament in 2022, will kick off his campaign with an all-Indian match against the talented Ayush Shetty. This internal battle guarantees that only three out of four Indian men’s singles players will move forward to the next round. The winner of this contest will then face either the fourth seed Chou Tien Chen from Chinese Taipei or Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto, promising an exciting path ahead.

Former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth will be challenged by Lin Chun-Yi of Chinese Taipei, who is ranked 12th and was a key member of the 2024 Thomas Cup bronze-winning team. If Srikanth progresses, he may face Christo Popov from France in the second round. Popov recently made history as the first Frenchman to win the BWF World Tour Finals men’s singles title, making this a potential high-stakes match.

H S Prannoy, who secured his place in the main draw following Denmark’s Anders Antonsen’s withdrawal, will take on Lee Cheuk Yiu from Hong Kong, the finalist of the previous edition.

On the women’s side, Malvika Bansod is making her return after a prolonged injury break. Playing with a protected ranking, she will face Pai Yu Po of Chinese Taipei in the first round.

The tournament also features headline matches such as top seed An Se Young facing former world champion Nozomi Okuhara, and third seed Akane Yamaguchi competing against compatriot Riko Gunji.

In doubles action, India’s Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy start with a relatively easier opening match against the USA pair Chen Zhi Yi and Presley Smith. Their first major challenge could come in the quarterfinals against the Chinese eighth seeds Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi.

Women’s doubles duo Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will face Thailand’s Ornnicha Jongsathapornparn and Sukitta Suwachai in their opening round, with a possible second-round showdown against China’s seventh seeds Li Yi Jing and Luo Xu Min.

With a mix of rising stars and established champions, the Yonex-Sunrise India Open Super 750 promises to be a showcase of top-tier badminton talent and competitive spirit, setting the tone for an exciting badminton season ahead.

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