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After a disappointing performance by the Indian contingent in the Denmark Open, fans will be eager to see if they can rebound at the French Open in Paris this week. The last few major tournaments of the year are crucial to get some momentum before the season-ending championships take place in December.
That is exactly why PV Sindhu really needs to regain her confidence and test herself against the world's best. Since winning the World Championships, the Indian No. 1 has spiralled into a slump and has failed to reach even the quarter-finals in her next three tournaments. Sindhu is a pale shadow of herself currently and desperately needs to get some rhythm.
As the fifth seed, she has been placed in the top half of the draw and will have to contend with last week's Denmark Open champion and top seed Tai Tzu Ying in the quarter-finals.
Saina Nehwal, meanwhile, is the eighth seed and is in the bottom half of the draw. Nehwal's form and fitness have come under the scanner for a long time and her first-round exit at Odense last week did not help quell those doubts. The former World No. 1 meets World No. 25 Cheung Ngan Yi in the first round and could come up against the sprightly 20th-ranked Aya Ohori in Round 2.
Nehwal could then meet An Se Young, the very player who upset Sindhu at the Denmark Open. While she is the only seeded player in her quarter, the semi-finals can present a showdown with either second seed Akane Yamaguchi or seventh seed He Bingjiao.
The men's singles draw will not feature the most consistent Indian shuttler of the season, Sai Praneeth, nor would fans get to see HS Prannoy in action. Kidambi Srikanth, who won this event in his stellar 2017 season, has a tough opener against second seed Chou Tien Chen.
Sameer Verma has to deal with World No. 13 Kenta Nishimoto while Parupalli Kashyap has the ninth-ranked NG Ka Long Angus up first.
Here is all you need to know about the French Open:
Tournament: Yonex French Open 2019
Category: Super 750
Location: Paris, France
Dates: October 22-27, 2019
Where to watch the matches in India?
The French Open matches will be telecast live on Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 HD.
Live Stream Details and Info for the matches:
Live Stream will be available on hotstar.com.
