India Open: All-Indian clash for Lakshya, Sindhu to face Thuy Linh Nguyen in tricky opener

Former champion Lakshya Sen will begin his India Open Super 750 campaign with a challenging all-Indian first-round clash against rising youngster Ayush Shetty, while former world champion PV Sindhu has been drawn to face Vietnam’s Thuy Linh Nguyen when the tournament gets underway at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium from January 13 to 18.

One of the marquee events on the BWF World Tour, the India Open shifts this year from the KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium to the larger multi-purpose hall at the Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex. The change of venue is significant, with players getting an early feel of the conditions that will host the BWF World Championships in August.

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The draw, however, has offered little respite to the Indian contingent. The opening round itself throws up several stern tests, beginning with the men’s singles clash between Lakshya and former world junior bronze medallist Ayush. With both Indians pitted against each other, only three of the four Indian men’s singles players in the main draw are guaranteed a chance to progress. The winner of that contest is likely to run into fourth seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei or Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto in the next round.

Elsewhere in men’s singles, former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth faces a tough opener against world No. 12 Lin Chun-Yi of Chinese Taipei, a bronze medallist at the 2024 Thomas Cup. Should Srikanth advance, a potential second-round encounter with France’s Christo Popov looms, with Popov arriving in Delhi after making history last month as the first Frenchman 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 open his campaign against Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu, the finalist at last year’s India Open.

In women’s singles, Sindhu faces a tricky opening assignment against Nguyen, who has emerged as one of the circuit’s most improved players over the past year. Ranked 22 in the world, Nguyen has won both of her most recent meetings with the Indian. A win for Sindhu would set up a daunting second-round clash against either second seed Wang Zhi Yi or fellow Chinese Gao Fang Jie.

Malvika Bansod, returning to competition after a prolonged injury layoff and using her protected ranking, will take on Pai Yu Po of Chinese Taipei in the first round.

The men’s doubles draw appears more favourable for former champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who open against USA’s Chen Zhi Yi and Presley Smith. Their campaign is expected to intensify in the quarter-finals, where eighth seeds Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi of China could pose the first major challenge.

In women’s doubles, two-time All England semifinalists Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand begin against Thailand’s Ornnicha Jongsathapornparn and Sukitta Suwachai, with a potential second-round meeting against Chinese seventh seeds Li Yi Jing and Luo Xu Min on the cards.