CHENNAI: THE next seven days or so is going to be significant for some of the elite shuttlers including Indians. For some, it’s about maintaining their rhythm while for others, it’s about digging deep into their resources and getting on track for Olympic qualification. The points that they earn, the shots that they execute could define their near future.
With the Paris Olympics qualification period concluding in April end, the onus will be on these globetrotters to fetch as many as ranking points as possible. With the India Open Super 750 event commencing here on Tuesday, the country’s shuttlers will be looking to make the most of playing in familiar surroundings.
A productive outing could boost their prospects of catching a flight to Paris. In the absence of star shuttler PV Sindhu, the spotlight will be on the likes of HS Prannoy, Kidambi Srikanth and Lakshya Sen.
After years of toil, Prannoy has emerged as the frontrunner in the men’s singles department from the country and he’ll be looking to maintain his status. A strong run in front of the home fans will solidify his position in the bigger scheme of things. While Prannoy has embraced consistency in the last twenty-four months or so, the same can’t be said about the other two high-profile names in the said category.
Both Srikanth and Lakshya have been unable to find solutions inside the court over the last year or so and their loss of form is evident in their fall in rankings. The India Open, thus, is a massive opportunity for the duo to get out of the rust. Former national chief coach, U Vimal Kumar, who’ll be supporting the likes of Lakshya in the capital city, is hopeful that the home shuttlers can rise during the event.
“It’s an important match (opening match). He (Lakshya) needs to get wins under his belt. He hasn’t been getting the results. He has had tough matches and he has been losing them. No match is easy. Prannoy also missed out last time out in Malaysia. He’ll also be eager for a good run.”
It’s quite a puzzle that a shuttler with Lakshya’s ability has been undone by his rivals in the very first round on multiple occasions in recent months. Vimal felt the shuttler is currently lacking confidence and a victory or two could help him regain that fighting spirit. “He has no injury issues. He’s just lacking confidence at the moment. When you lose the very first round, it becomes difficult and no match is easy right now. He has not been able to play with confidence and put his best foot forward. The opponents have also played better than him on the day. He can regain confidence with a win over a few players,” he noted.
While Srikanth and Lakshya seek fresh starts, doubles players from the country will also be buzzing, especially after their run at the Malaysia Open.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were as competitive as ever during the Malaysia meet, where they reached yet another finals before missing out on the title. ‘Hunger’ is the mantra that they follow and it won’t be a surprise if they manage to challenge for the biggest share of pie again. It’s no surprise that Vimal names them as India’s best hopes. “It (Malaysia run) was very impressive. They missed out in the final but they were largely outstanding. I expect them to do well. Sure, they’ll lose every once in a while but they have been very consistent and that’s a very good sign. In my opinion, they are our best bet.”
Another Indian pair who have had a promising rise in recent times is women’s doubles duo of Tanisha Castro and Ashwini Ponnappa. Ever since forging a partnership, the pair has steadily climbed the rankings with some notable victories on the tour and they’ll be eager to find another gear ahead of remaining events. After reaching the quarterfinal stage of the Malaysia Open, they’ll be hoping to go higher in front of the home fans.
Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand is another pair who has the fight in them to spring a surprise or two. With the clock ticking, it will be paramount for the young Indian pair to get some vital wins under their belt.
“I’m impressed with Ashwini and Tanisha. They have come along really well. Earlier, we would have two good singles players (Sindhu and Saina Nehwal) and we had Ashwini and Jwala (Gutta). But now, we have two good women’s doubles players. Treesa and Gayatri also have creditable wins against some top players. Tanisha and Ashwini have posted some big wins. Their victory over former world champs, Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara of Japan (in Malaysia Open), was quite notable. They are in with a chance to gain points and qualify (Olympics).”
All said and done, the event is going to be a massive challenge with some of the elite shuttlers including Viktor Axelsen (World No 1 in men’s singles), An Se Young (World No 1 in women’s singles) being part of the draw. One glaring miss is that there will be no representation in the women’s singles draw in the absence of Sindhu. It’s a rare occurrence with women’s singles historically being India’s go-to category.