Badminton

Saina, Kashyap face tough test, Sindhu starts on safer shores at the All England Open 2021 draws

 

The draws for the All England Open Super 1000 event which will be held in Birmingham was released by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) on Tuesday. Indian badminton star couple, Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap are gearing up to face a tough challenge at the All England Open which will start on March 17.

While a lot of hopes will be pinned on Saina Nehwal to perform well in this event, she will be up against Danish shuttler  Mia Blichfeldt in the first round of the Women’s Singles. Blichfeldt is in great form and it will be a tough test for the London 2012 Bronze medallist.

The Danish youngster has beaten Nehwal recently at the Yonex Thailand Open which happened last month. Therefore it will be shot at redemption for the Olympic medallist. Other than doing well in Thailand, Blichfedlt has also helped Denmark retain the European Mixed Team Championship in Finland along with her compatriot Viktor Axelsen as they defeated France in the finals.

Things do not get easier for Saina’s better half, Parupalli Kashyap as he will be up against World No.1 Kento Momota. The Japanese shuttler will return to the court after recovering from COVID-19 and therefore one can expect the two time World Championship winner to be more fired up against Kashyap.

However, to the relief of the Indian badminton fans, Rio 2016 Silver medallist PV Sindhu has an easier draw in comparison. The 25-year old will play Malaysia’s Soniia Cheah in the first round and if she goes through then she may face Japan’s  Akane Yamaguchi in the quarter-finals and old foe, Carolina Marin, in the semifinals.  However, a lot depends on how Sindhu performs in her curtain-raiser against Cheah and that will decide how far she can go into the event.

Wrapping up the Indian badminton contingent with former World No.1 Kidambi Srikanth will face Indonesia’s Tommy Sugiarto and he will be a tough nut to crack. Srikanth will have to be very careful and be consistent against someone like Sugiarto as he cannot let the Indonesian run away with the momentum at any phase of the match. Lastly, World Championship bronze medallist Sai Praneeth will face French shuttler Toma Junior Popov in the first round.

The 2021 All England Open will be very important for the Indian shuttlers as it will provide them with ranking points that will help them in their qualification for the Tokyo Olympics. This will be the second event after the Swiss Open which will offer shuttlers with ranking points. Therefore they will be eager to bring their best game on the court and carry that form as now the qualification window has also been extended to June 15.

About the Author


Written by DafaNews

DafaNews brings you the most highlighted news in the world of Sports. It serves you up-to-date matches, scores, live streams, fantasy games and quizzes. Our news covers India's prestigious leagues and events – Premier League, Pro Kabbadi League, Cricket World Cup and many more. Follow DafaNews on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,Telegram and Youtube for more updates.

Related Post
Share
Published by
DafaNews

Recent Posts

LeBron James opens up on new All-Star Game format, says something had to change

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has opened up on new All-Star Game format. James,… Read More

December 20, 2024

Sunil Chhetri reveals how leadership onus helped him in his career

India’s football icon Sunil Chhetri has had a glorious career as he has ticked the… Read More

December 20, 2024

East Bengal FC midfielder Madih Talal ruled out for rest of the season due to knee injury

East Bengal FC midfielder Madih Talal has been ruled out of the rest of the… Read More

December 20, 2024

Christopher Clarey sheds lights on Novak Djokovic-Andy Murray alliance, says Serb has always tapped into smart, high-level tennis players

Renowned Tennis journalist Christopher Clarey has shed light on Novak Djokovic appointing Andy Murray as… Read More

December 20, 2024

Manchester United’s Ruben Amorim has no regrets after dropping Marcus Rashford

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has admitted he has no regrets after dropping Marcus… Read More

December 20, 2024

Sanju Samson reveals how Gautam Gambhir gave him clarity and confidence

India’s wicket-keeper bat Sanju Samson has revealed head coach Gautam Gambhir has played an instrumental… Read More

December 20, 2024