Star shuttlers Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will look to regain their competitive edge as they spearhead the Indian challenge at the Thailand Open Super 500 tournament in Bangkok beginning on Tuesday. (More Sports News)
The top seeded Indian pair, who are one of the favourites to win a gold at the Paris Olympics, found it a tad difficult to negotiate🐠 the variety of serves dished🌳 out by the Indonesians and Chinese at the Thomas Cup.
Both shuttlers will look to address the slight drop in their level t𝔍his week when they begin their campaign agains🌸t Malaysia's Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub Azriyn and Tan Wee Kiong.
With the Olympic-bound shuttlers looking to fine-tune their skills ahead of the Paris Games, the BWF world to𒁃ur events will offer the perfect platform for them to test those new strokes or tweaks that th𓂃ey make to their games.
India's top player in singles, HS Prannoy, a world championships and Asian Games b𓆉ronze medallist, too wil𝓡l have to find his best footing after being troubled by health issues this season.
His win over Indonesia's Anthony Gint𝔉ing was a confidence booster but the loss against China's Shi Yuqi will trouble him as he needs to close out such narrow games to get ๊into the best mental shape ahead of the Olympics.
Kiran George and Sathish Kumar Karunakaran are also in fray, while Lakshya Sen and PV Sindhu had pulled out be🦩fore the draw was announced lﷺast week.
While Kiran will face China's Australia Open winner Weng Hong Yang, Sathish, who had claimed the Odisha Masters title last Decem🔯ber, takes💮 on a qualifier in their respective opening matches.
In Sindhu's absence, Ashmita Chaliha, Malvika Bansod and Aakarshi Kashyap will look to keep India's flag fluttering with a solid show in women's🍸 singles.
The Guwahati shuttler will be squaring off against Indonesia's Ester Nurumi Tri Wardoyo, while Malvika faces top seed Chinese Han Yue and Aakarshi is pitted against Busanan Ongbamrungphan🦂 of Thailand.
Young Unnati Hooda and Imad Farooqui Samiya will also 🎃hope to produce a good show when they take on Belgium's Lianne Tan and China's Go☂a Fang Jie.
In women's doubles, fourth seeded Indian pair of Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa, who has qualified for the Paris games, will also be in the fray ⛎but will begin campaign in second round after receiving a bye.
