Sindhu, Lakshya eye titles at Syed Modi International

Lucknow: P V Sindhu and Lakshya Sen will aim to end their title droughts when they spearhead India's challenge at the Syed Modi International Super 300 badminton tournament starting here on Tuesday.

Fresh off a semifinal finish in their comeback tournament post the Paris Olympics, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the former world No. 1 doubles pair, enter as favourites in the men's doubles category.

Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, last clinched a title at the Singapore Open in 2022, while Lakshya, a 2021 World Championships bronze-medallist, won the Canada Open in 2023.

The 29-year-old Sindhu reached the final of the Malaysia Masters earlier this year but has struggled to find her peak form.

Lakshya, 23, showed promise with semifinal finishes at the All England Championship, French Open, and Paris Olympics, where he lost the bronze playoff from a strong position to Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia.

Both shuttlers have endured mixed fortunes since their Olympic outings.

Lakshya faced early exits at the Arctic Open, Denmark Open, and Kumamoto Masters before recovering to an extent with a quarterfinal finish at the China Masters, avenging his Olympic loss to Lee in the process.

Lakshya starts his campaign here against a qualifier, hoping to reclaim his spot on the podium.

Sindhu, meanwhile, has battled inconsistency, with a shock first-round loss to Canada's Michelle Li in Finland and subsequent defeats at the Denmark Open and Kumamoto Masters.

She opens her campaign against compatriot Anmol Kharb, a 17-year-old rising star who has impressed with titles at the Belgium and Poland International Challenge events this year.

The clash between the seasoned Sindhu and the prodigious Kharb promises to be an intriguing one, symbolising the generational shift in Indian badminton.

In men's singles, second seed Priyanshu Rajawat is a strong contender alongside Lakshya.

The 22-year-old from Dhar has shown promise on the international circuit, including a fighting performance at the China Masters.

Other Indian hopefuls include third seed Kiran George, 2023 World Junior Championships bronze-medallist Ayush Shetty, Odisha Masters winner Sathish Karunakaran, and national champion Chirag Sen.

The women's singles draw also looks competitive, with second seed Malvika Bansod aiming to better her runner-up finish in the 2022 edition.

Third seed Aakarshi Kashyap, sixth seed Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj, and fifth seed Anupama Upadhyaya are among others eyeing glory.

Isharani Baruah, who has clinched titles at the Sri Lanka International, Dutch International, and India International, along with Devika Sihag, will also hope for a good outing. Unnati Hooda, a winner at the 2023 Abu Dhabi Masters, is another player to watch out for.

In women's doubles, the top-seeded duo of Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto, along with second seeds Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly, are strong title contenders, with a potential all-Indian final on the cards.