India Open 2023: Top five matches to watch out

With the India Open 2023 upgrade to a Super 750 event, top shuttlers from across the world will face off to grab the coveted title. Here are five duels to look forward to:

Published : Jan 16, 2023 18:43 IST

The India Open first round will see India’s H S Prannoy and Lakshya Sen facing each other.
The India Open first round will see India’s H S Prannoy and Lakshya Sen facing each other.
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The India Open first round will see India’s H S Prannoy and Lakshya Sen facing each other.

The India Open badminton tournament will get underway on Tuesday at the K.D. Jadhav Indoor Hall in New Delhi. As this year’s event has been upgraded to Super 750, making India Open a prestigious tournament on the BWF World Tour, top shuttlers from across the world will face off to grab the coveted title. Here are five duels to look forward to:

Saina vs Sindhu

A Saina Nehwal vs P.V. Sindhu clash, possibly in the third round given that they win their respective first and second-round fixtures.
A Saina Nehwal vs P.V. Sindhu clash, possibly in the third round given that they win their respective first and second-round fixtures.
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A Saina Nehwal vs P.V. Sindhu clash, possibly in the third round given that they win their respective first and second-round fixtures.

A Saina Nehwal vs P.V. Sindhu clash, possibly in the third round given that they win their respective first and second-round fixtures, will be a much-desired contest in the India Open.

Till date, the two greats of Indian badminton faced each other four times, with world no. 30 Saina holding a 3-1 edge over Sindhu. Their last meeting came at the 2018 Commonwealth Games women’s singles final. On that occasion, Saina defeated Sindhu in straight games to register her third win.

Though the dimension of badminton has changed over the last five years, with world no. 7 Sindhu emerging as India’s top-ranked women’s singles player and Saina playing less frequently on the World Tour due to injuries, the match could still spice up the tournament.

Lakshya vs Prannoy

Much to the distress of the Indian fans, the two best shuttlers in men’s singles - world no. 8 H.S. Prannoy and world no. 10 Lakshya Sen - have been pitted against each other in three back-to-back events recently: Denmark Open, World Championships, and Malaysia Open.

In the first round of the Malaysia Open, Prannoy, being the in-form player, got better of Lakshya to register his third win and levelled the head-to-head record at 3-3.

At the India Open, the duo will meet again in the first round and as Lakshya, the defending champion, looks to regain his form, the battle could light up the event.

Srikanth vs Axelsen

Kidambi Srikanth will face Viktor Axelsen in the first round of India Open.
Kidambi Srikanth will face Viktor Axelsen in the first round of India Open.
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Kidambi Srikanth will face Viktor Axelsen in the first round of India Open.

The last time Kidambi Srikanth won against Viktor Axelsen was in 2017 at the Denmark Open when the Indian shuttler was having the best time of his career, winning four Super Series titles in a calendar year.

But, over the last few years, as Axelsen emerged as a better-equipped player, the Dane emerged triumphant over his Indian counterpart. The world no. 1 shuttler now holds a 9-3 edge over Srikanth.

Even though Srikanth has not been in great form, and it may seem like an uneven contest given Axelsen’s recent performances, the world no. 13 Indian is still capable of throwing up a challenge to the Dane maestro.

Srikanth is an unpredictable player on the World Tour, as evident in the Thomas Cup last year. If he manages to conjure his best game, the first-round fixture could be an entertaining clash.

Satwik-Chirag vs Hoki-Kobayashi

They are the favourites for the India Open title and will not meet in the initial rounds. But the possibility of a meeting in the semifinal is high, given their form and fitness.

World no. 5 Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty enjoys a 3-1 head-to-head record against world no. 4 Takuro Hoki-Yogo Kobayashi, with the Indians most recently beating the Japanese pair in the World Championships and Denmark Open.

But if Hoki-Kobayashi could draw the Indian duo close to the net, fans can expect a fascinating contest.

Treesa-Gayatri vs Zhang-Zheng

It may sound like an even contest, given the Chinese pair’s impressive performance last season.

World no. 4 Zhang Suxian-Zheng Yu, who had numerous runner-up finishes in 2022 apart from the Australian Open title, beat world no. 13 Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand at the All England Open semifinal.

But, Treesa-Jolly is no longer a pushover. On home conditions, with the fans cheering them, the Indian duo could make a point against the Chinese pair, who might feel alien in a hostile atmosphere.

The Indo-China meet is a high possibility in the second round.

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