Star shuttlers PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen will be eager to regain form when they lead the Indian challenge at the Kumamoto Masters Japan Super 500 tournament beginning here on Tuesday.
Both players have struggled to find their best form since disappointing performances at the Paris Olympics. While Sindhu reached the quarterfinals at the Denmark Open Super 750, Lakshya Sen suffered early exits at both Arctic Open Super 500 and Denmark Open.
The two players have struggled to close out deciders after staying competitive in their matches.
Sindhu, after a shock first-round exit to Canada’s Michelle Li in Finland, made it to the quarterfinals in Odense but lost to Paris bronze medallist Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia in a tense deciding game.
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Lakshya, on the other hand, fell short against Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen and China’s Lu Guang Zu in Finland and Odense.
Despite these setbacks, Sindhu has expressed confidence in her preparations, having worked closely with new coaches Anup Sridhar and Korean legend Lee Syun Il.
“I’m in good shape, physically and mentally fit,” said Sindhu, who will open her campaign against eighth-seeded Thai Busanan Ongbamrungphan.
“We’ve been working on different aspects, like speed and defence. I hope to perform well in Japan and China with their guidance.” In the men’s singles, Lakshya possesses the game to challenge the world’s best, but his mental resilience has been questioned following his near-miss at the Tokyo Olympics, where he slipped from a medal position in a heartbreaking loss.
The 23-year-old will open against Malaysia’s Leong Jun Hao, with a potential showdown against eighth seed Anthony Ginting of Indonesia in the next round.
The only other Indian pair in action will be the women’s doubles team of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, who will face Taipei’s Hsu Yin-Hui and Lin Jhih Yun in their opening match.
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