Badminton

Indian badminton stars Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty made a triumphant start to the French Open Super 750 tournament in Paris, securing a hard-fought victory over Malaysian duo Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi. The world no. 1 Indian pair, who won the title in 2022, displayed their dominance in the opening round, outplaying their world no. 12 opponents 21-13, 24-22 in a thrilling 47-minute encounter.Satwik and Chirag, who have finished second in their last three tournaments, will face another Malaysian pair, Man Wei Chong and Kai Wun Tee, in the next round.In other Indian action, World Championships bronze medalist Lakshya Sen overcame a slow start to defeat Japan's Kanta Tsuneyama 15-21, 21-15, 21-3 in his opening match. The unseeded Indian will now face third seed Li Shen Feng in the pre-quarterfinals.Commonwealth Games bronze medalists Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand also advanced to the second round in women's doubles, defeating Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto in an all-Indian clash. The two pairs are vying for qualification for the Paris Olympics, with Tanisha-Ashwini ranked 11th and Treesa-Gayatri at 14th in the Olympic Games qualification ranking.Treesa and Gayatri have been in impressive form, playing a crucial role in the Indian women's team's historic victory at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in Malaysia last month.However, it was a disappointing day for Priyanshu Rajawat, who suffered a 8-21, 15-21 defeat to reigning Olympic champion and top seed Victor Axelsen.

Former world champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will embark on their quest for a maiden French Open title at the USD 850,000 Super 750 tournament starting Tuesday. The Indian duo, ranked No. 1 in the world, have been tantalizingly close to victory in recent tournaments, finishing as runners-up at the China Masters Super 750, Malaysia Open Super 1000, and India Open Super 750 events.The French Open will provide an opportunity for the Indian shuttlers to familiarize themselves with the conditions at the Adidas arena at Porte de la Chapelle, which will host the badminton competitions at the Paris Olympics. Rankireddy and Shetty, who won the French Open in 2022, will be the favorites to reach the weekend once again.Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu will also be in action, making her return to the circuit after four months. Sindhu, ranked No. 11 in the world, will face Canada's Michelle Li in her opening match. A win could set up a clash with three-time former world champion Carolina Marin of Spain, their first meeting since their ill-tempered match at the Denmark Open semi-final.In men's singles, world No. 7 HS Prannoy will look to build on his semifinal appearance at the India Open. He will face China's Lu Guang Zu in his opening match. Lakshya Sen, who has slipped to world No. 19, will also be in action, taking on Japan's Kanta Tsuneyama. Former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth will face a tough challenge against Chinese Taipei's Chou Tien Chen, while young Priyanshu Rajawat will have an opportunity to create an upset against world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen.In a crucial turn of fate, two Indian women pairs -- Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, and Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa -- who are vying for an Olympic berth, will face off in the opening round.