In a setback for India's challenge at the Thailand Open 2023, a star Indian duo has withdrawn from the tournament. The Thailand Open will be played in Bangkok as several players from around the world will present their challenge for the title. However, the Indian duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will miss the tournament as the former has not healed from a hip injury he suffered during the India Open event.
"It hasn't healed yet, so won't be playing Thailand," Chirag, one-half of the world number six pair, told PTI. "Mostly we are targeting All England Championship now," he added. The top-seeded Indian duo, who reached the semifinals of the season-opening Malaysia Open, was scheduled to face Chinese Taipei's Su Ching Heng and Ye Hong Wei in the opening round.
World no.34 Krishna Prasad Garaga and Vishnuvardhan Goud Panjala will now lead the Indian challenge in men's doubles. "We need to get used to the level we are playing quicker. In super 100s and 300s, we are playing at a good level but we have to level up in the bigger tournament.
Getting into the top 20 this year is a short-term target for us," Krishna said. "Our attack really works but we are lacking in one or two skills, we are not being consistent and that is where we need to work upon." Ishaan Bhatnagar and Sai Pratheek K are also in the fray as they open against Jeppe Bay and eighth seed Lasse Molhede.
India will have a host of players, led by Tokyo Olympian B Sai Praneeth, competing in men's singles. While former Singapore Open champion Praneeth, who has slumped to world no.51, will face an uphill task against second seed Lu Guang Zu of China, while Sameer Verma, who is also on a comeback trail after recovering from injury, meets another Chinese in six seed Li Shi Feng. Priyanshu Rajawat, who had reached the main draw at Indonesia Masters last week, will square off against Heo Kwang Hee of Korea, Odisha Open champion Kiran George is pitted against Chinese Taipei's Chia Hao Lee and Orleans Masters runners-up Mithun Manjunath will cross sword with fifth seed Japanese Kenta Nishimoto.
In women's singles, Saina Nehwal will be up against Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt, whom she had beaten at India Open, while Malvika Bansod will once again open against top seed and former world champion Ratchanok Inthanon and Anupama Upadhyaya and Ashmita Chaliha will face-off in an all-Indian opener. Commonwealth Games bronze medallists Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will fight it out against Japan's Rena Miyaura and Ayako Sakuramoto, while new women's doubles pairing of Shruti Mishra and N Sikki Reddy will meet top seed Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai of Thailand. Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa will face China's, Tan Ning and Xia Yu Ting. In mixed doubles, B Sumeeth Reddy and Ashwini Ponnappa, Rohan Kapoor and Sikki, and eighth seed Ishaan Bhatnagar and Tanisha are also in the fray.
