New Delhi: Former World No.1 Kidambi Srikanth has received a last-minute entry at the India Open Badminton Super 750 after a couple of withdrawals from top-ranked international players. The World No.41 was part of the reserved list and wasn’t part of the main draw list with only three Indian players were scheduled to play in the men’s singles – Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy, and Priyanshu Rajawat.
The two-time Commonwealth Games medallist has hit the downhill in his career in 2024, where he failed to advance past the round of 16 in 10 tournaments, one quarterfinal appearance in Macau Open and one semifinal appearance in Swiss Open. He failed to make the cut for the Paris Olympics and couldn’t inspire the Indian men’s team in their quest to win the Asian Badminton Championships neither defend the Thomas Cup title.
Thanks to the withdrawal from top-seeded Chinese shuttler Shi Yuqi and eighth-seeded Antony Ginting, Srikanth and Kiran George were drafted in as their replacements to play the main draw at the India Open. This will be an opportunity for Srikanth to make a statement that he still has that appetite to bemuse the opponents with his array of glittering shots.
Reshuffled draws for Indian players in India Open first round
The latest changes in the draw has also shuffled the matchups with India’s top-ranked singles player Lakshya Sen will now replace Ginting to play the draw against Chun Yi Lin of Chinese Taipei in the first round. Meanwhile, Srikanth will play against Hong Yang Weng of China and George will face Yushi Tanaka of Japan.
Top-ranked Indian women singles player PV Sindhu, who will start her season at the India Open, was scheduled to face compatriot Anupama Upadhyaya in the opening round. However, Sindhu will replace Busnan Ongbamrungphan in the draw against Shuo Yung Sung of Chinese Taipei in the first round. For Anupama, an Indian challenge remains intact as she will play against Rakshita Sree SR in her first round.
Kidambi Srikanth received a late entry into the India Open Badminton Super 750 tournament due to withdrawals from top players Shi Yuqi and Antony Ginting. This presents a crucial opportunity for Srikanth to revive his career after a challenging last year. Badminton Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
