Indian badminton stars PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen have withdrawn from the Korea Open, which begins on November 3 in Yeosu, following their title-winning campaigns at the Hylo Open Super 500 in Germany. Sindhu has also decided to skip the Japan Masters, scheduled from November 10 to 15, after clinching the women's singles title in SaarbrÜcken on Sunday. The double Olympic medallist defeated Denmark's Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt in straight games to secure the crown, while Sen completed a memorable double for India by winning the men's singles title.
Sen's withdrawal from the Korea Open means HS Prannoy will lead India's challenge in the men's singles at the USD 500,000 Super 500 tournament. The newly crowned Hylo Open champion was initially scheduled
to face China's Dong Tian Yao in the opening round but has now pulled out of the competition. With both Sindhu and Sen absent, India's campaign in Yeosu will feature several young players looking to make an impression on the international circuit.
HS Prannoy Leads India's Men's Singles Challenge
With Sen unavailable, the responsibility of leading India's men's singles campaign will rest on experienced campaigner HS Prannoy. The 2023 World Championships bronze medallist will begin his campaign against South Korea's Yoo Tae Bin.
The 33-year-old remains one of India's most experienced players on the international circuit and will be keen to make an impact in the tournament.
However, Prannoy faces a competitive field featuring Chinese Taipei's top seed Chou Tien Chen, Japan's third seed Kodai Naraoka and Canada's Victor Lai.
Tanvi Sharma, Malvika Bansod Face Challenging Openers
In the women's singles draw, young Indian shuttler Tanvi Sharma will open her campaign against Japan's Manami Suizu. Sharma, who won the Taipei Open earlier this year, will look to continue her encouraging run on the international circuit.
Malvika Bansod, meanwhile, faces a challenging first-round assignment against South Korea's fourth seed Sim Yu Jin.
Meanwhile, Anmol Kharb will take on Canada's Rachel Chan in her opening match as she looks to build on her impressive performance at the Hylo Open.
The 19-year-old reached the semifinals of the tournament in Germany, where she faced two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu. Her recent run will provide confidence as she prepares for another opportunity to compete against established names on the international circuit.
With Prannoy leading the men's singles challenge and a promising group of Indian women shuttlers in action, India will look to make its presence felt at the Korea Open despite the absence of its two leading stars.
