In-Form Tanvi Sharma, Fit-Again Kidambi Srikanth Headline Indian Challenge In Korea
Newly-crowned Taipei Open champion Tanvi Sharma and a fit-again Kidambi Srikanth will look to continue India's impressive run on the international circuit when they spearhead the country's challenge at the Korea Open.
Newly-crowned Taipei Open champion Tanvi Sharma and a fit-again Kidambi Srikanth will look to continue India's impressive run on the international circuit when they spearhead the country's challenge at the Korea Masters Super 300 badminton tournament, beginning in Asan, Korea on Tuesday. Tanvi, the 17-year-old from Punjab, produced a sensational performance to clinch her maiden BWF World Tour title after defeating Vietnam's sixth seed Thuy Linh Nguyen in the final of the Taipei Open on Sunday. The historic triumph made her only the second Indian women's singles player to win the Taipei Open, joining Saina Nehwal (2008).
She also became only the fourth Indian women's singles shuttler to secure a Super 300 or higher-level title, joining an elite club comprising Saina, PV Sindhu and Devika Sihag.
The feat has put her in the spotlight and expectations will be high from the Indian this week as she opens her campaign against a qualifier.
India has six players in the men's singles and 10 in the women's singles main draws of the USD 250,000 event.
In the men's singles, third seed Srikanth, a 2021 World Championships silver medallist, looked in good rhythm as he reached the final of the US Open but was forced to withdraw from the Canada Open the following week due to a fitness issue.
Now back to full fitness, the former world No. 1 will begin his campaign against Israel's Daniil Dubovenko.
Kiran George has drawn a qualifier in the opening round and could face eighth seed Wang Po-Wei of Chinese Taipei in the pre-quarterfinals.
Saneeth Dayanand faces a daunting opener against top seed Yudai Okimoto of Japan, while Rounak Chouhan takes on fourth seed Jeon Hyeok Jin of South Korea.
Tharun Mannepalli will face South Korea's Yoo Tae Bin, while Mithun Manjunath meets China's Zhu Xuan Chen. Should both Indians win their opening matches, Srikanth and Mithun will square off in an all-Indian second-round clash.
In the women's singles, seventh seed Malvika Bansod also has a favourable start against a qualifier, while Tanya Hemanth has been handed a difficult first-round clash against top seed Hina Akechi of Japan.
Aakarshi Kashyap will face South Korea's Kim Min Ji, while Shriyanshi Valishetty takes on Chinese Taipei's Pai Yu Po. Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj and Ashmita Chaliha will each open against a qualifier.
Eighth seed Anmol Kharb opens against Hong Kong's Lo Sin Yan Happy, Mansi Singh will face South Korea's Kim Joo Eun, and fifth seed Isharani Baruah takes on South Korea's Lee So Yul.
Among the other Indians, women's doubles pair Sonali Singh and Ritika Thaker will face a qualifier, while Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra will take on the second-seeded Japanese pair of Ririna Hiramoto and Kokona Ishikawa.
In the men's doubles, Krishna Prasad Garaga and Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy will face the fourth-seeded Thai pair of Chaloempon Charoenkitamorn and Worrapol Thongsa-Nga in the opening round.
Bhargav Ram Arigela and Viswa Tej Gobburu have been drawn against Malaysia's Aaron Chia and Aaron Tai, while Achutaditya Rao Doddavarapu and Pochana Arjun Reddy will begin their campaign against the second-seeded pairing of Choi Sol Gyu of South Korea and Goh V Shem of Malaysia.
In the mixed doubles, sixth seeds Ishaan Bhatnagar and Shruti Mishra will face fellow Indians Sathwik Reddy Kanapuram and Radhika Sharma in an all-Indian opening-round clash, guaranteeing India a place in the second round. Seventh seeds Dhruv Rawat and Maneesha K will open their campaign against Malaysia's Loo Bing Kun and Noraqilah Maisarah.
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