Daijiworld Media Network – Macau
Macau, Jul 28: India's star badminton duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will look to break their title drought this season as they begin their Macau Open Super 300 campaign on Tuesday. Seeded second, the Asian Games champions are aiming to build on their consistent form and fine-tune preparations for the World Championships in Paris next month.
The world No. 3 pair reached the semifinals of the China Open Super 1000 last week but fell short against Malaysian second seeds Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik. Their season so far has seen semifinal finishes at the India, Singapore, and Malaysia Opens, with a second-round loss in Japan being their only early exit. They face Malaysia’s Low Hang Yee and Ng Eng Cheong in the opening round.
In men’s singles, Lakshya Sen is seeking a return to form. The 23-year-old has been close to big wins but has struggled to convert in tight matches. He takes on Korea’s Jeon Hyeok Jin in his opener.
Veteran HS Prannoy, who won bronze at the 2023 World Championships, begins against a qualifier, hoping to improve on his recent second-round China Open exit. Rising star Ayush Shetty, seeded seventh and fresh off his maiden BWF title in the US, will open against Huang Yu Kai of Chinese Taipei.
Sathish Kumar Karunakaran, coming off a bronze at the World University Games, faces Malaysia’s Justin Hoh. Meanwhile, Manraj Singh meets fellow Indian Tharun Mannepalli in an all-Indian battle. S Sankar Muthusamy, Rithvik Sanjeevi, and Kiran George are also in the fray.
In women’s singles, 16-year-old Unnati Hooda, riding high after her upset win over PV Sindhu in China, faces Denmark’s Julie Dawall Jakobsen. Rakshita Ramraj, Anupama Upadhayaya, and Aakarshi Kashyap are up against strong international contenders, including Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara.
Top-seeded pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand lead India's women’s doubles charge against Lin Xiao Min and Peng Yu Wei of Chinese Taipei. Priya Konjengbam–Shruti Mishra and Apoorva–Sakshi Gahlawat will also be in action.
In mixed doubles, Sathish and Aadya Variyath take on Indonesia’s sixth seeds, while fifth seeds Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto face a Thai challenge. Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani will meet Chinese Taipei’s Wu Guan Xun and Lee Chia Hsin.
With momentum and form on their side, India's top shuttlers will look to shine on the Macau stage.