Stiff task awaits hosts as India Open starts today; Saina, lee, Chinese top-three main attractions
Host players on most occasions are regarded favourites to win with crowd backing among other advantages. But it may not be the case for Indian badminton stars in 2014 Yonex Sunrise India Open Super Series, courtesy some good work by the organizers which means top-ranked players will be participating. You name the big guns and they’ll be at the India Open starting with qualifiers on Tuesday at the Siri Fort Sports Complex here in the Capital.
london Olympics bronze medalist Saina Nehwal is the lone home seeded player, she’s eighth, and faces Simone Prutsch in the opener. A win there would make her quarter-final tie a tough one as she could face third seed and former world champion China’s Yihan Wang. The 24-year old Indian is not in the best of form and would also have to deal with the pressure of home expectations. She’s the face of Indian badminton and everybody wants her to win.
Then there is PV Sindhu. She has a stiff task right from the word go as she takes on second seed — another Chinese — and reigning All England champion Shixian Wang in her opener. However, the Hyderabadi sensation will take confidence from her 3-0 record against the Chinese. One of her recent wins came in the quarters of Swiss Open just two weeks back.
Top players are indeed attractions but the tournament will miss current women’s world champion Ratchanok Intanon from Thailand as she has pulled out of the tournament due to fitness issues. That means she won’t be able to defend her title.
To round-off the grand presence is 2012 Olympics winner li Xuerui from China. Focus on Chong Wei On the men’s side newly-crowned national champion and world number 22nd Kidambi Srikkanth and former world number six Parupalli Kashyap will lead the Indian men’s campaign. Kashyap has been struggling with his shoulder in past few months and will play with strapping. Srikkanth faces Japan’s Takuma Ueda and Kashyap will be up against sixth seed Zhengming Wang of China. The focus though would be on world number one lee Chong Wei. The Malaysian is favourite to defend his title. The Capital can see him play up close.
Other Indians in the fray Sourabh Verma, who recently ended as runners-up in Malaysian GP, RMV Guru Sai Dutt and Sai Praneeth. Representing the country in women’s singles draw are Tanvi lad, former national champion Trupti Murgunde, P C Thulasi, Saili Rane and National Games winner Arundhati Pantawane.
In the women’s doubles event, Commonwealth Games gold medallist Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa will open their campaign against Thailand’s Chaladchalam Chayanit and Peeraya Munkitamorn and are likely to face london Olympics gold medallists and fifth seed Zhao Yunlei and Tian Qing of China in the second round.
Pranaav Jerry Chopra and Akshay Dewalkar, and Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy will be in action in men’s doubles. The qualifiers will be held on Tuesday while the main draw matches begin Wednesday. Final will be played on Sunday.
Meanwhile, two days ago while announcing the at a press conference, Badminton Association of India president Akhilesh Das Gupta said that the event has grown extensively in the past few years which makes it a $250,000 prize money tournament this year.