HS Prannoy leads Indian charge at Indonesian Masters Super 500

NEW DELHI: In the absence of the formidable doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the Indian contingent at the Indonesian Masters Super 500 badminton tournament will be spearheaded by singles ace HS Prannoy. The reigning Asian Games champions decided to skip the tournament to manage their workload, considering the demanding season ahead.Prannoy, currently ranked world No. 9, is the sole seeded Indian player at No. 7 in the men's singles draw, featuring 32 players. He will commence his campaign against Singapore's Loh Kean Yew, a player he holds a 4-1 win-loss record against. Prannoy's consistent performance has been evident in recent tournaments, finishing as the runner-up in the Malaysia Super 1000 and India Open Super 750 consecutively. His recent form includes reaching the semi-finals in the Indian Open.The absence of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who secured back-to-back runner-up finishes in the Malaysia Super 1000 and India Open Super 750, has somewhat dimmed the tournament's shine. However, Prannoy will aim to keep the Indian flag flying high with his impressive run.Other notable Indian players in focus include Lakshya Sen, currently ranked world No. 19, who will attempt to break his opening-round jinx against China's Weng Hong Yang. Sen, who faced early exits in recent tournaments, aims to regain his form, having last won the Canada Open last year.Kidambi Srikanth, ranked world No. 25, is also part of the Indian contingent and will face Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia. Meanwhile, MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila will be the lone representatives in men's doubles, where they will take on Malaysia's Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin in the opening round.No Indian representation is slated in the women's doubles and mixed doubles events for this tournament.The Indonesian Masters Super 500 badminton tournament promises intense competition, and Indian fans will be keenly watching Prannoy, Sen, Srikanth, and others as they aim to make their mark on the international badminton circuit.(With inputs from PTI)