Sindhu, Saina look for better show at Singapore

Indian badminton queens Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu will look to put behind their disappointing first-round exits last week at Malaysia when they start their campaign at the Singapore Super Series, commencing with the qualifiers here on Tuesday.

Sindhu, who clinched her maiden India Open at New Delhi to achieve a career-best World No. 2 ranking, will have to get over the heart-break at Kuching, where she was stunned by upcoming Chinese shuttler Chen Yufei.

Similarly, Saina will have to erase the memory of her opening-round shock by Japan's Akane Yamaguchi.

A tough draw awaits the Indian shuttlers at the Singapore Open with Sindhu slated to face Japan's Nozomi Okuhara, 2016 All England Open champion and Rio Olympic bronze medallist. Saina, meanwhile, will take on a qualifier.

The men's singles draw is equally challenging as top seed Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark will stand in the way of India's B Sai Praneeth in the opening round, while rising star Sameer Verma will once again face Hong Kong's Hu Yun, whom he had beaten at the India Open early this month.

Ajay Jayaram, who had beaten World No. 2 Viktor Axelsen en route to the quarterfinals at Malaysia Open last week, will meet fifth seeded young Chinese shuttler Shi Yuqi, who had reached the finals at the All England last month.

After skipping the Malaysia Open following his second- round loss in India Open, Kidambi Srikanth will be looking to regain his form that saw him conquer the 2014 China Open and 2015 India Open. The former world number 4 will square off against a qualifier.