Lakshya Sen faces Lu Guang Zu, PV Sindhu faces Pai Yu Po

Indian badminton stars Lakshya Sen and PV Sindhu will be back in action at the highly anticipated Denmark Open 2024, scheduled to take place from October 15 to 20 at Arena Fyn in Odense, Denmark. This Super 750 tournament with a prize pool of $850,000 is the thirtieth event of the BWF World Tour 2024.

Difficult draw for Lakshya Sen in the men's singles

Lakshya Sen, India's best hope in men's singles, faces a tough draw in the tournament. He faces China's Lu Guang Zu in the opening round and has the potential to face world-class opponents in the later round. If he progresses, Lakshya could face Indonesia's Jonatan Christie in the second round and reigning world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in the quarterfinals.

Lakshya's form will be tested after his recent defeat at the Arctic Open, where he blew a one-game lead and lost to Chinese Taipei's Chou Tien Chen. While Lakshya managed a first-round win there, his early exit is a reminder of the intensity of the competition and he will have to give his best to succeed in Denmark.

PV Sindhu wants to face Pai Yu Po

In the women's singles, PV Sindhu will look to bounce back from a first-round loss at the Arctic Open. Sindhu, who was defeated by Canada's Michelle Li, will face Chinese Taipei's Pai Yu Po in the first round of the Denmark Open. If she progresses, Sindhu could face China's Han Yue in the second round, making her path to the later rounds a challenge.

Sindhu's current form is a concern and this tournament offers her the opportunity to get back into the swing of things ahead of a busy tournament schedule leading up to the BWF World Championships

Strong Indian line-up in women's singles at the Denmark Open

Apart from Sindhu, three other Indian women shuttlers will take part in the singles draw. Malvika Bansod faces Vietnam's Nguyen Thuy Linh and if she progresses she could set up an all-Indian clash against Aakarshi Kashyap, who faces Thailand's Supanida Katethong in the first round.

In addition, the young Unnati Hooda will face Lauren Lam from the USA in the first round.

No men's double representation for India

Unfortunately, India will not be represented in the men's doubles as Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, India's leading men's doubles team, have withdrawn from the tournament. After a disappointing quarter-final exit at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the duo has yet to return to competition.

India's women's doubles and mixed doubles teams are ready

In the women's doubles, India will be represented by two pairs. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand face a tough challenge against fifth seeds Pearly Tan and Thinnah Muralitharan. Meanwhile, the panda sisters Swetaparna and Rutaparna will compete against Chang Ching Hui and Yang Ching Tung from Chinese Taipei.

In the mixed doubles, B Sumeeth Reddy and Sikki Reddy will face Canadians Kevin Lee and Eliana Zhang, while Sathish Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath will face Indonesian duo Rehan Kusharjanto and Lisa Kusumawati.

Crucial test for India's shuttlers

As the Denmark Open 2024 approaches, Indian badminton players will look to make their mark on the international stage.

With the BWF World Championships just around the corner, a strong performance in this Super 750 race will be crucial in building confidence and form as they prepare for the challenging road ahead.