Not all of it—Lakshya Sen already had the bronze medal from the World Championships—but a significant portion of it begins at the All England, where he advanced to the finals the year before. After that exhilarating run, things have somewhat calmed down. Sen enters Birmingham Arena a little more cautious than before due to a nasal surgery from which he has yet to fully recover, as well as early exits from competitions where he was defending points.
He immediately encounters Chou Tien Chen, who challenges him to turn around their previous head-to-head record of 2-0 after both players won their matches in three sets. If he defeats the Taiwanese, Anders Antonsen or Rasmus Gemke, both of whom are highly defeatable, may be waiting for him in Round 2. Given Sen’s propensity to counter Anthony Ginting on speed and solid defence, the draw can loosen up once Ginting enters the quarterfinals. However, Viktor Axelsen might be waiting in the semifinals.
Another possibility is that Sen in quarters will face the all-too-familiar HS Prannoy instead of Ginting. Since the beginning of 2022, the two have faced off seven harrowing times, proving that drawmakers simply can’t get enough of this rivalry. After Sen’s victory at the India Open, the score is now 3-4 in Sen’s favour. However, it’s the All England and No. 9 in the world. Prannoy wants to make the most of his current position in a massive consistency bubble.
The 30-year-old is currently up 4-3 in the match against Wang Tzu Wei. Given that six of their seven meetings have required a decider, you should prepare for a lengthy match when these two square off. Chou Tien Chen is one of the big names Prannoy has defeated during his winning streak, having won three of their previous five meetings. In the 2018 All England opener, Prannoy defeated Chou for the first time after losing to him three times previously.
To advance to the finals, however, both of the highly ranked Indians may need to get past the Axelsen bar.
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Kidambi Srikanth, the third male singles player, is ranked 19th in the world right now. Given the unexpected loss at Orleans Masters during the Tokyo qualification process, he faces Toma Jr. Popov in the opening match, a name that could come back to haunt him. The following time they played, the former World No. 1 defeated him with ease.
The young Japanese player Kodai Naraoka and the Chinese player Lu Guangzu are two potential opponents for Srikanth in Round 2. Lee Zii Jia (1-2) in the quarterfinals and Kunlavut Viditsarn (0-3, which includes two thrashings) in the semifinals stand in the way of his potential path to the championship, though.
While India may have three players ranked in the Top 20 for the first time in an All England match, each of them will need to perform significantly above their potential to overcome these difficult draws.
Tai Tzu in Sindhu’s path.
It doesn’t get any more difficult than having Tai Tzu Ying, even before she sniffs the business end of the All England, potentially standing at the quarterfinals gateway. But if both Taiwanese players make the quarterfinals, PV Sindhu will have to try to defeat them in the last eight.
Yang Jiman, a 26-year-old Chinese woman, is the opponent in Round 1. Although the two have alternated victories, Sindhu easily defeated Yang Jiman at the Malaysia Masters. Though Sindhu has consistently won important matches against the Chinese, there is a chance she will face He Bingjiao in Round 2. He is a challenging opponent. In the current SWOT, their head-to-head reads 9-10, which is not much to glean from, but Bingjiao is not a simple opponent to subdue.
Though Sindhu could always remind herself that her major victories—the Olympic silver and World Championship gold—came at Tai Tzu’s expense, it’s not a never-defeated opponent, the 5-17 score against Tai Tzu Ying is disheartening. But it’s been seven games since Sindhu was able to defeat her in one.
Sindhu may face An Se Young in the semifinals, a player against whom she has yet to score, with a score of 0-5 gasping faceoffs, in what is a harsh draw past Tai Tzu as well.
Saina Nehwal, the other women’s singles shuttler, will compete in another All England, where she previously advanced to the finals in 2015 against Chinese Han Yue, who is ranked No. 10. She shares a quarter with the world champion Akane Yamaguchi and the Asian champion Wang Zhiyi.
Doubles challenge
India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty face off against a backup pair because Kevin Sanjay Sukamuljo and Marcus Fernaldi Gideon, the “Minions,” are out.
The challenging times, however, continue with the world champions, Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, and Chinese Liang-Wang, the India Open champions who may compete in Round 2. Six total matches across two pairings have ended without a response. However, the Indians will eventually end their curse, and Birmingham, where they won the CWG gold, albeit not at the same venue, is the biggest arena available.
There is a chance for young Gayatri Gopichand Pullela and Treesa Jolly to end another losing streak, as they did against Malaysians Thinaah-Pearly. They come up against the 7th-seeded Thai players Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Ravinda Prajongjai, who they have lost four straight matches to. The most recent score of 23-21, 22-20, where they played catch-up but couldn’t overturn the lead, offers some hope despite the fact that it has been straight sets.
The anticipated returns to good form of Carolina Marin and Kento Momota will also be watched closely during this All England. Lakshya Sen, the finalist from the previous year, and Prannoy, the two top doubles who are constantly on the verge of breaking new ground, will be the focus of all attention for India.
Also Read: All England Open: Daunting challenge on cards for Indian shuttlers (sportsdigest.in)
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