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Lakshya Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty and PV Sindhu target strong performances at China Masters Super 750 badminton tournament.
Lakshya Sen is coming off a runner-up finish at the Hong Kong Open (Picture credit: AFP)
Fresh from a finals appearance, star Indian men’s singles shuttler Lakshya Sen will aim to build on his newfound momentum, while Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will strive to maintain their consistency at the China Masters Super 750 badminton tournament beginning Tuesday.
Lakshya, who reached his first major final in two years at the recently concluded Hong Kong Open after a prolonged period of poor form and fitness issues, opens against France’s Toma Junior Popov.
The 24-year-old from Almora, who finished fourth at the Paris Olympics, had multiple early exits but turned it around to reach the summit clash.
“I just need to believe in myself more. I need to keep the same approach from day one,” he said.
Eighth seeds Satwik and Chirag have been India’s most consistent performers this season, with six semifinal finishes, a World Championships bronze, and a runner-up finish at Hong Kong last week. The Asian Games champions, still chasing their first crown of 2025, will start against Malaysia’s Junaidi Arif and Roy King Yap.
It was their first final in 16 months, and although the Indians fell short, the performance highlighted their progress as they prepare to challenge the world’s top pairs again.
“I think the way we are playing, we are right up there. It’s just a matter of time and we should believe in ourselves,” Satwik said on Sunday.
Youngster Ayush Shetty, who shocked Japan’s Kodai Naraoka last week, will look for another strong run when he faces sixth seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei. The duo have met twice on tour and in their last meeting at the US Open, the Indian won in three games.
In women’s singles, two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu will hope to rediscover her top form when she takes on Denmark’s Julie Dawall Jakobsen. The duo has faced each other twice and at their last meeting at the Swiss Open this year, the latter won in straight games.
The 30-year-old, ranked 14th, stunned China’s world No. 2 Wang Zhi Yi to reach the World Championships quarterfinals but faltered against Line Christophersen last week.
In women’s doubles, the Panda sisters — Rutaparna and Swetaparna — face Malaysia’s Ong Xin Yee and Carmen Ting.
In mixed doubles, Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde will meet Japan’s Yuichi Shimogami and Sayaka Hobara, while Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, quarterfinalists at the World Championships, open against second seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping of China.
India’s Schedule For September 16
PV Sindhu vs Julie Dawall Jakobsen: 11:30 am IST (Court 1)
Ayush Shetty vs Chou Tien Chen: 1:10 pm IST (Court 3)
Rohan Kapoor-Ruthvika Shivani Gadde vs Yuichi Shimogami-Sayaka Hobara: 2 pm IST (Court 2)
(With PTI Inputs)
September 15, 2025, 13:48 IST
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