Indian Shuttlers Target Strong Comeback at Indonesia Masters
Indian badminton players are determined to show a major improvement this week. They head to Jakarta for the Indonesia Masters after a disappointing performance at the India Open in New Delhi. The tournament begins on Tuesday with a prize purse of $500,000.
India Open Recap: A Week to Forget
Last week's India Open did not go well for the Indian contingent. Lakshya Sen reached the men's singles quarterfinals but lost there. No Indian player advanced beyond the last eight in any category. Chinese Taipei's Lin Chun-Yi won the men's singles title. World number one An Se Young of Korea claimed the women's singles crown.
Challenging Draw Awaits in Jakarta
The focus now shifts to the Indonesia Masters. Indian shuttlers face a demanding draw right from the opening rounds. Several players will compete against higher-ranked opponents.
Lakshya Sen, the seventh seed, looks to bounce back after his quarterfinal exit at the India Open. He won the Australia Open last year. Sen starts his campaign against Singapore's Jia Heng Jason Teh.
HS Prannoy faces a stern test against Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia. Lee is a former world number two and a Paris Olympics bronze medalist.
Kidambi Srikanth, a former world number one, takes on Japan's Koki Watanabe. Srikanth reached finals at the Malaysia Masters and Syed Modi International last year.
Tharun Mannepalli is drawn against Yushi Tanaka of Japan. Ayush Shetty, the US Open champion, meets a tough opponent. He faces third seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia. Christie reached the finals at the India Open. Shetty suffered a first-round exit last week. The 20-year-old faces another challenging match.
Women's Singles: Sindhu Leads the Charge
In women's singles, PV Sindhu returns to action. The fifth seed started the season after recovering from a foot injury. She begins her campaign against Japan's Manami Suizu. Sindhu is currently world number twelve. She endured a first-round exit at the India Open. She lost to Vietnam's Nguyen Thuy Linh, who is ranked twenty-third in the world.
Tanvi Sharma, a promising young player, faces a tough draw. The junior world championships silver medalist meets fourth seed Tomoka Miyazaki of Japan. Sharma impressed last week. She came close to beating Tokyo Olympics champion Chen Yu Fei. She fell short in a thrilling three-game match.
Unnati Hooda, a teenager, hopes to be ready for her challenge. She faces top seed Chen Yufei in the opening round. Malvika Bansod will fight against sixth seed Michelle Li of Canada.
Doubles Representation
India will also have representation in men's doubles. Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun compete in the fourth qualifying round. They aim to secure a spot in the main draw.
The Indonesia Masters presents a crucial opportunity for Indian shuttlers. They seek to regain form and confidence on the international stage.
