Yonex Chinese Taipei Open 2015 - A look at the draw for the Indian players

Srikanth Kidambi

Four Indian players will be participating in the 35th edition of the Yonex Open Chinese Taipei Championships which will be held in the city of Taipei from July 14th to July 19th. This US $200,000 tournament is a Grand Prix Gold category tournament and is the eighth of its kind in 2015.

As of now, only two Indian players have managed to seal the title in the last 34 editions of this tournament. Saina Nehwal clinched the women’s singles crown in 2008, whereas the mixed doubles pair of V.Diju and Jwala Gutta achieved the same in 2009.

In men’s singles category, three Indians will be in action. Star shuttler and World No. 3 Kidambi Srikanth will start his quest against the World No. 47 Taipei player Tzu Wei Wang. Srikanth, who grabbed the Indian Open Superseries title in March has not been in the best of the forms after that as he was shown the exit door in the second round in the last four tournaments in which he has participated.

Srikanth, who is vying to qualify for the next year’s Olympic games, could play the 7^th seed and World No. 9 Wan Ho Son in the quarters.

Sameer Verma could face top ranked Chen Long in the second round

25-year-old R.M.V. Gurusaidutt has given some top ranked players the run for their money in recent times. He stretched the World No. 1 Chen long and World No. 9 Wan Ho Son to three games in the opening round of Australia Open and Singapore Open Superseries respectively. The World No. 43, who lost in the third and first rounds of the U.S Open and Canada Open respectively, will lock horns with the qualifier in the opener.

Sameer Verma, a 20-year-old and World No. 141 will take on the local boy and World No. 150 Kuo Po Cheng in the opening round. If the Indian manages to get past Cheng, then he could set up a tough clash against the reigning World Champion and No. 1 player in the world, Chen Long.

Other top shuttlers participating in this tournament are; former World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei, two time Olympic and five time World Championships gold medalist Lin Dan and current World No. 2 Jan O Jorgensen.

P.V Sindhu is the lone Indian participant in women’s singles category. The 20-year-old Indian, who faltered in the opening round of Indonesia Open Superseries Premier and Star Australia Open will play the World No. 30 Indoesian ace Lindaweni Fanetri. This will be the 8^th meeting between these two players. In their previous seven encounters, Sindhu has registered five victories whereas Fanetri has managed to win two.

World No. 3, Thai shuttler Intanon Ratchanok has been given the top seed whereas London Olympics gold medalist and World No. 4 Li Xuerui of China is seeded second. There is no Indian participation in doubles.