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PV Sindhu has got a bye into the second round, while the trio of HS Prannoy, Lakshya Sen and Kidambi Srikanth have got tough paths as the draws for the BWF World Championships 2023 were announced on Thursday (August 10).
Former world champion Sindhu, who has received the 16th seeding, could face off against another erstwhile world champion Nozomi Okuhara in the second round. A win could pit her against 2013 world champion Ratchanok Intanon in the third round. Top seed and World No. 1 An Se Young could await in the quarterfinals.
PV Sindhu has been a pale shadow of herself all season, with her best performance being a runner-up finish at the Madrid Spain Masters.
The Indian men's singles shuttlers, too, find themselves in tricky situations. HS Prannoy, who lost a thriller in the Australian Open final on Sunday, is seeded ninth. He takes on World No. 56 Kalle Koljonen in his opener and could run into seventh seed and former world champion Loh Kean Yew in Round 3.
The Malaysia Masters champion could next face the top seed and World No. 1 Viktor Axelsen in the quarterfinals.
Lakshya Sen, seeded 11th at the 2023 BWF World Championships, might breathe easy for a couple of rounds. He has the 110th-ranked Georges Julien Paul as his first opponent, with the 51st-ranked Jeon Hyeok Jin potentially up next.
The World No. 11 could have a steep challenge awaiting him in the third round, with the third seed and 2022 BWF World Championships silver medallist Kunlavut Vitidsarn looming large.
Kidambi Srikanth, the finalist at the 2021 BWF World Championships, squares off against 14th seed Kenta Nishimoto in the first round. The Japanese has beaten Srikanth twice this year, but the former World No. 1 turned the tables on Nishimoto in their most recent meeting at the Australian Open.
If Srikanth progresses to the third round, another danger in the form of second seed and World No. 2 Anthony Sinisuka Ginting could loom large.
Satwik-Chirag get bye into second round of BWF World Championships 2023
In men's doubles, India's in-form pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have got a bye into the second round, having been seeded second.
The four-time titlists this season face the winner of the match between Ireland’s Joshua Magee/Paul Reynolds and Australia’s Kenneth Zhe Hooi Choo/Ming Chuen Lim in their first match of the tournament. A win could pit the 2022 BWF World Championships bronze medalists against 10th seeds Leo Rolly Carnando/Daniel Marthin in the third round.
In women's doubles, Commonwealth Games bronze medalists Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand have received a bye into the second round as the 15th seeds.
They begin their campaign against the winner of Chinese Taipei’s Chang Ching Hui/Yang Ching Tun and Estonia’s Kati-Kreet Marran/Helina Ruutel. Ashwini Bhat K/Shikha Gautam, meanwhile, square off against the Netherlands’ Debora Jille/Cheryl Seinen in their opening round.
In mixed doubles, India's Rohan Kapoor/ N. Sikki Reddy take on the Scottish pair of Adam Hall/Julie Macpherson. Venkat Prasad/Juhi Dewangan, meanwhile, have drawn the German combine of Jones Ralfy Jansen/Linda Efler in the first round.
The 2023 BWF World Championships begins in Copenhagen from August 21-27.
