Singapore Open: Satwik-Chirag return to action

Singapore: The celebrated pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will make a much-anticipated return to elite competition after shaking off fitness concerns when the duo leads a star-studded Indian challenge at the Singapore Open Super 750 tournament starting here on Tuesday.

The former world No. 1 duo last played at the All England Championships in March but withdrew in the second round due to Chirag’s back injury. They also pulled out of the Sudirman Cup because of Satwiksairaj’s health issues.

Now fully fit, the Indian team, which reached the semifinals of Malaysia Open and India Open earlier this year, will open against Malaysia’s Choong Hon Jian and Muhammad Haikal.

By reaching the final of last week’s Malaysia Masters, Kidambi Srikanth managed to lift himself and the overall gloom that had set over Indian badminton in the past few months.

HS Prannoy, a 2023 World Championships bronze-medallist who witnessed the rampaging run of Srikanth at Kuala Lumpur, will look to produce a similarly gritty show when he begins his campaign against Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke.

Lakshya Sen will look to silence doubts about his fitness when he faces Lin Chun-Yi in the opening round. Sen’s four first-round exits this season are concerning for a player seen as a future leader of Indian badminton.

In women’s singles, PV Sindhu remains a work in progress. Despite multiple coaching changes, consistent deep runs have eluded her. Sindhuwill face Canada’s Wen Yu Zhang in the first round.

Other Indian women’s players face tough draws. Anmol Kharb takes on former Olympic champion Chen Yu Fei of China, while Aakarshi Kashyap will be up against third

seed Han Yue. agencies