India’s top badminton players, PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen, are set to return to the BWF Tour at the Japan Masters Super 500 this Tuesday after a month off. While this tournament isn’t the biggest in the calendar, it’s an important chance for both players to get back in form after recent challenges. Following disappointing performances at the Olympics in August, both players took a break, but their October return to tournaments in Europe didn’t go as hoped.
The next few weeks, including the Japan Masters, a Super 750 event in China, and the Syed Modi Super 300 in India, give Sindhu and Lakshya a chance to end their season on a positive note. Both have arrived early in Japan to prepare, and Sindhu is especially focused, as she’s working with new coaches Anup Sridhar and Lee Syun Il. She hopes to perform well with this new team, which will be with her until the end of the year. Her first match will be against Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan, a player she has defeated 18 times out of 19 matches.
Lakshya, who had a difficult run in Europe, is also looking to build confidence. He begins against Malaysia’s Leong Jun Hao, whom he has beaten before, and might face eighth seed Anthony Ginting in the next round, a player he’s never lost to. If his defense holds up, he could make a deep run in the tournament.
India’s doubles pair, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, are also aiming for a strong performance. They’ll start against Hsu Yin-Hui and Lin Jhih Yun from Chinese Taipei but could face a tougher challenge in the second round.
The Japan Masters starts with qualification matches on Tuesday, and India’s players will begin their campaigns on Wednesday.
