Syed Modi India International: All eyes on PV Sindhu, HS Prannoy; event sees spate of withdrawals

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu will look to recover from her unexpected semifinal loss at the India Open and end her title drought at the Syed Modi International (Super 300), which begins in Lucknow on Tuesday.

In a field that has been depleted due to a spate of late withdrawals, Sindhu and HS Prannoy are the standout stars to watch out for from an Indian point of view. Srikanth Kidambi, Lakshya Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are among those who withdrew late.

Sindhu, of course, is the top seed in women’s singles. The 26-year-old from Hyderabad was well on course to win her first title since the 2019 World Championship triumph last week before left-hander Supanida Katethong of Thailand shattered her hopes with a three-game win at the India Open.

Sindhu, who had finished runner-up at Swiss Open and World Tour Finals last year, will hope to turn things around this week when she begins her campaign against compatriot Tanya Hemanth.
The Indian will be itching to settle scores against sixth seed Supanida, whom she is likely to face again at the quarterfinals at the Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium.

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