China Open 2023: Prannoy aims to carry on momentum; Satwik-Chirag looks to regain form before Asian Games

China Open 2023 is one of four Super 1000 events on the BWF World Tour. The tournament starts on September 5 and the finals will be played on September 10. The tournament in Changzhou, China, carrying a prize worth $2,000,000, will be one last chance for Asian shuttlers to taste their preparations for the forthcoming Asian Games, which is also scheduled in China.

India has sent an 11-member contingent for the tournament. World no. 6 HS Prannoy will lead India's attack in men's singles as the highest-ranked Indian player in the field. India will have no representation in women's singles after PV Sindhu pulled out of the event.

Prannoy, who has recently won his maiden World Championships medal in Copenhagen, is heading to the China Open as an unseeded player. His path to the quarterfinals is not going to be easy either. Prannoy will open his campaign against agile Ng Tze Yong of Malaysia. If he beats Tze Yong, he will face Priyanshu Rajawat, who has been put up against world no. 45 Shesar Hiren Rhustavito after world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn pulled out of the event.

If Prannoy overcomes Priyanshu, whom he beat twice in as many meetings, he will run into world no. 9 Jonatan Christie in the third round. Indonesia's Christie has a 6-3 head-to-head advantage over the Indian shuttler.

World no. 11 Lakshya Sen, meanwhile, will look to regain his mojo after a forgettable campaign at the World Championships, where he lost to eventual champion Vitidsarn in the pre-quarterfinal. At the China Open, Lakshya begins his campaign against Anders Antonsen. Lakshya, the winner of the Canada Open 2023, could face Singapore's Loh Kean Yew in the second round as a possible third-round clash against world no. 1 Viktor Axelsen awaits him.

Kidambi Srikanth, however, withdrew from the China Open.

Satwik-Chirag looks to regain form

In men's doubles, title contender and second-seeded Indian pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will look to recover from their shocking quarterfinal exit in the World Championships when they get back to the court in the China Open.

Satwik and Chirag open their campaign against Indonesia's Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and Bagas Maulana in the first round with a possible third clash against Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan. The Indians have a 3-1 and 3-3 head-to-head record against the Indonesians.

MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila are the other Indian pair competing in men's doubles. In their comeback event, Arjun and Dhruv face Japanese Keiichiro Matsui and Yoshinori Takeuchi in the first round. The world no. 34 pair last played in July at the Japan Open, where they retired hurt against Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in the first round.

Meanwhile, world no. 17 Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand go up against world no. 1 Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan for the second successive week. At the World Championships, the Indian pair was no match for the gusty and technically superior Chinese duo, as Treesa-Gayatri lost in straight games in their Round of 16 fixture.

Rohan Kapoor and N Sikki Reddy are the lone Indian pair in mixed doubles. They will commence their campaign against Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei.

Live streaming info

Matches of China Open 2023 will be streamed live on BWF's YouTube channel.