Two-time silver medalist PV Sindhu will enter the BWF World Badminton Championship starting on Monday with the intention of ending the title drought by winning a gold medal. Sindhu has been a consistent performer by winning two consecutive silver and the same bronze medals at the World Championships over the years.
The 24-year-old Sindhu has always managed to achieve her best form in this prestigious championship but missed the finals twice. She lost to Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara in a 110-minute match in the 2017 leg, while the in 2018 she was defeated by Olympic champion Carolina Marin of Spain. Fifth seed Sindhu got a bye in the first round. She will begin her campaign against the winner of the match between Pai Yu Po of Chinese Taipei and Linda Zechiri of Bulgaria.
If all goes well, then Sindhu can take on compatriot Saina Nehwal in the semi-finals. However, both players will have to cross the initial hurdle for this. World Championship silver and bronze medalist Saina, seeded eighth, will take on the winner of the match between Sabrina Jacquet of Switzerland and Soray de Vich Ejbergen of the Netherlands.
Kidambi Srikanth would like to perform well after recovering from a knee problem. Seventh seeded Kidambi has not won a single title in the BDWF World Tour in the last 22 months. He will face Ireland’s Not Enguyen in his opening match at this stage as in 2018. Sameer Verma will play in the first round from Loh Keane Yew of Singapore, B Sai Praneeth from Canada’s Jason Anthony Ho-shue and HS Prannoy from Finland’s Eto Hino. The pairs of Manu Attri and B Sumit Reddy, MR Arjun and Ramachandran Shlok and Arun George and Sanyam Shukla will be in the race. Ashwini Ponnappa and Reddy would also like to make an impact in the women’s doubles.
Saina Nehwal said in a interview: “I am also working on my defense, physical fitness and on-court skills. I have worked hard and I hope I can do well. I will have to do well, but there is no pressure.”
