India Open 2023 draw: PV Sindhu returns to action
Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu will face her last edition rival Supanida Katethong in the first round of the upcoming India Open 2023 set to take place from January 17-22. Meanwhile, the Indian men's singles players have been dealt a tough draw. The likes of Kidambi Srikanth, Lakshya Sen, and HS Prannoy have been clubbed in the same quarter in the Super 750 event.
A complicated draw in men's singles
Reigning champion Sen commences his campaign against Prannoy, with the winner likely to go against Japan's Kento Momota. Former world number one Srikanth will have to overpower Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen in the first round. Only one of the aforementioned Indians can go past the last eight in the men's singles category. Besides, third-seed and Singapore's Loh Kean Yew faces Japanese sensation Kodai Naraoka.
Sindhu will look to settle scores against Katethong
Fifth-seeded Sindhu faces Katethong in a repeat of the previous edition's semi-final. Sindhu had lost the duel in three games. She has been out of action since her heel injury at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Number one seed Akane Yamaguchi of Japan will look for a dominating start against Spain's Clara Azurmendi, while Olympic winner Chen Yu Fei faces Canada's Michelle Li.
Nehwal is in the fray as well
Former world number one Saina Nehwal will kick off her journey against Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt. World number 30 Malvika Bansod will be determined to put up a fight against world number 11 and Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrungphan. Aakarshi Kashyap, who won silver in the mixed team event in the 2022 CWG, will face world number 26 and former India Open winner Beiwen Zhang of the USA.
A look at the Indian men's doubles contingent
Fifth-seeded and 2022 CWG gold-winning duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will face world number 31 Jeppe Bay and Lasse Molhede of Denmark. World number 21 MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila will cross swords with sixth-seeded Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen of Denmark. Krishna Prasad G and Vishnuvardhan Goud P will take on Netherlands' Ties Van Der Lecq and Ruben Jille.
Treesa and Gayatri are must-sees in women's doubles
Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Pullela will lock horns with France's Margot Lambert and Anne Tran in the opening round. Notably, the Indian pair wound up as semi-finalists at 2022 All England Open. Ashwini Bhat K and Shikha Gautam will commence their campaign against the eighth-seeded Malaysian pair of Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan.
What about mixed doubles?
India's only mixed doubles entry, Ishaan Bhatnagar and Tanisha Castro, will be up against Netherlands' Robin Tabeling and Selena Piek.
