Lakshya Sen will open his campaign against world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi of China
The pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, earned a first-round bye
A struggling PV Sindhu begins against Kaloyana Nalbantova
Indian badminton players have received challenging draws for the upcoming World Championships in Paris, France, beginning on August 25. Lakshya Sen, a bronze medallist in 2021 and former Commonwealth Games gold medallist, will open his campaign against world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi of China. India's most successful female shuttler in the tournament, PV Sindhu, a five-time medallist, begins against Kaloyana Nalbantova. The top men's doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, earned a first-round bye.
Sen and Prannoy's Tough Paths
Lakshya Sen, a former Commonwealth Games gold medallist, will begin his World Championships campaign against China's Shi Yu Qi. This marks their fifth encounter, with Shi holding a 3-1 lead in their head-to-head record against Sen. Sen, who won a bronze medal in the 2021 edition of the tournament, has 'struggled to rediscover his touch' since his semi-final loss at the Paris Olympics last year.
The 23-year-old from Almora, currently ranked 21, has lacked consistent results this season, with his best finish being a quarter-final appearance at the All England. Sen has shown glimpses of his potential but has found it difficult to close out key matches this season.
HS Prannoy, another men's singles bronze medallist, will face the lower-ranked Joakim Oldorff of Finland. Prannoy, world No. 34, expects to meet world No. 2 Anders Antonsen of Denmark in a likely second-round clash.
Sindhu's Journey and Form Concerns
PV Sindhu, India's most successful female shuttler at the World Championships, has what appears to be an 'easier' first-round draw. The five-time medallist will begin her run against world No. 66 Kaloyana Nalbantova of Bulgaria.
However, the two-time Olympic medallist and 2019 world champion, who has also been struggling for form recently, could face world No. 2 Wang Zhi Yi of China in the round of 16. For Sindhu, now ranked 15, a quarter-final appearance at the India Open remains her best result this year. The 30-year-old former world champion has faced multiple early exits from other tournaments.
Men's Doubles: High Stakes Encounters
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, India's top men's doubles pair, received a first-round bye. In the second round, they will play either fellow Indian shuttlers Hariharan Amsakarunan and Ruben Kumar, or Liu Kuang Heng and Yang Po Han from Chinese Taipei.
A challenging round-of-16 clash awaits them, as they might face world No. 6 Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, a Chinese duo who currently lead Rankireddy and Shetty 6-2 in their head-to-head encounters.
If they win against the Chinese pair, Satwik and Chirag could then meet their 'long-time foes', Malaysia's Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, who hold a commanding 11-3 record against the Indian pair across 14 meetings, including their recent Paris Olympic quarter-finals victory. This season, the world No. 3 Indian pair has seen steady performances, reaching the semi-finals at the India Open, Singapore Open, and Malaysia Open, alongside quarter-final finishes at the Indonesia Open.
