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Following the Denmark Open, the badminton action has now shifted to Paris this week for the Yonex French Open, the second Super 750 event scheduled to be held in the European swing.
Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen will spearhead the nation's challenge at this tournament. The World No. 8 crashed out of the Denmark Open in the quarterfinals last week and will eye a deeper run in Paris.
Interestingly, the 21-year-old has drawn none other than former World No. 1 and compatriot Kidambi Srikanth in the first round. Srikanth lifted the trophy at the tournament in his stellar 2017 season and will hope to draw confidence from that campaign when he meets his younger countryman.
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The Pullela Gopichand protege, a bronze medalist at this year's Commonwealth Games, has come to the French capital on the back of a pre-quarterfinal defeat in Odense and will be eager to put his best foot forward this week.
BWF World Championships quarterfinalist HS Prannoy, who succumbed to Sen last week, takes on World No. 28 Daren Liew in the opening round.
Sameer Verma, meanwhile, faces sixth seed Anthony Sinisuka Ginting in the first round.
Saina Nehwal is the lone shuttler flying the Tricolor in the women's singles section. She has World No. 27 Yvonne Li first up. Nehwal was edged by Zhang Yi Man in the first round in a nail-biter last week and will hope to bounce back at the French Open.
Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu continues to be a major absentee in the European swing as she recovers from an ankle injury sustained at the Commonwealth Games.
BWF World Championships bronze medalists Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty made a winning start with a tight 19-21, 21-9, 21-13 victory over Christo and Toma Junior Popov on Tuesday.
MR Arjun/Dhruv Kapila, the second Indian pair in the men's doubles draw, will square off against fifth seeds Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto.
Young mixed doubles pair of Tanisha Crasto/Ishaan Bhatnagar will hope to make their mark while Commonwealth Games bronze medalists Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand have crashed out.
Indian badminton contingent at French Open 2022
Men's singles
Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, Sameer Verma, and HS Prannoy
Women's singles
Saina Nehwal
Men's doubles
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty, MR Arjun/Dhruv Kapila
Women's doubles
Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand
Mixed doubles
Ishaan Bhatnagar/Tanisha Crasto
French Open 2022 schedule
The Super 750 tournament will take place at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin in Paris from October 25-30.
The first-round matches will be held over two days from October 25-26. The second-round action will be completed on October 27.
The quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals are scheduled to take place on October 28, 29 and 30, respectively.
French Open 2022: Where to watch & live stream details
The French Open 2022 will be broadcast live in India on Sports18 1 and Sports18 1 HD channels from October 27. The matches can also be streamed live on Voot Select.
Live streaming is available on YouTube on BWF.TV in selected territories as well.
