HS Prannoy will lead India’s badminton challenge at the Australian Open, starting June 11 in Sydney. This BWF Super 500 event is crucial for Prannoy, who is keen to regain his form after recent setbacks. Prannoy, seeded fifth in this tournament now aims to turn his luck around, beginning with his opening match against Ygor Coelho of Brazil.
Prannoy’s recent performances have been less than stellar. At the Thailand Open last month, he suffered a surprising defeat in the first round to compatriot Meiraba Luwang Maisnam. Following that, at the Singapore Open, Prannoy lost to Kenta Nishimoto in a hard-fought Round of 16 match, ending 13-21, 21-14, 15-21. These losses have motivated Prannoy to make a strong comeback in Sydney.
Men’s singles challengers
In addition to Prannoy, several other Indian shuttlers will compete in the men’s singles category too. Sameer Verma will face Indonesia’s Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo in the opening round, while Ravi will take on the challenging eighth seed, Loh Kean Yew of Singapore. Mithun Manjunath will also play against Alwi Farhan from Indonesia, Kiran George is matched with Canada’s Xiaodong Sheng, and S Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian has a tough draw against top seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia.
Women’s singles challengers
The women’s singles category sees eighth seed Aakarshi Kashyap leading the Indian contingent. She is set to play Polina Buhrova of Ukraine in her opening match. Other notable matches include Ashmita Chaliha facing Peru’s Ines Lucia Castillo, Anupama Upadhyaya battling Malaysia’s Wong Ling Ching, and Samiya Imad Farooqui taking on top seed Akane Yamaguchi of Japan. Additionally, Keyura Mopati and Malvika Bansod will compete against each other in an all-Indian first-round clash.
The doubles’ challengers
In doubles, India has no representation in the men’s doubles category. However, the Panda sisters, Rutuparna and Swetaparna, seeded seventh, will lead the charge in the women’s doubles, along with the pair of Harshita Rout and Sruti Swain. The mixed doubles category features three Indian pairs: eighth seed B Sumeeth Reddy and Sikki Reddy will play against the Malaysian duo of Wong Tien Ci and Lim Chiew Sien, Tarun Kona and Sri Krishna Priya Kudaravalli face another Malaysian pair, Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin, and the duo of Ayush Raj Gupta and Sruti Swain will compete against Australians Jordan Yang and Sydney Tjonadi.
The Australian Open is an important opportunity for Indian players to showcase their skills on an international stage. For Prannoy, this tournament is particularly significant as he seeks to bounce back from recent disappointments and prove his mettle. The competition is stiff, but the Indian contingent is prepared to face the challenges head-on. Fans will be eagerly watching to see how these athletes perform, with hopes high for a successful campaign in Sydney.