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Indian singles players PV Sindhu and B Sai Praneeth will face Israeli opponents in their respective group opening matches at the Tokyo Olympics.
Reigning world champion PV Sindhu will launch her Tokyo Olympics campaign against Israel’s Polikarpova Ksenia on July 25. The Tokyo Games organizers on Wednesday issued a schedule for the first two days of the competition.
In the men’s singles category, Sai Praneeth will take on Israel’s Misha Zilberman in his opening Group D match on July 24. Sai Praneeth, who is making his debut in the Olympics, is seeded sixth.
Rio Olympic silver medallist Sindhu has been clubbed in Group J alongside Cheung Ngan Yi from Hong Kong. Ngan Yi is ranked 34th in the world while Polikarpova is 58th. World No. 7 Sindhu, who lost to Spain’s Carolina Marin in the summit clash of Rio Olympics, is seeded sixth at the Games.
In the singles matches, only the top players from every group will advance to the knock-out round. Sindhu is expected to sail past both opponents before moving onto the knockout stages.
If Sindhu tops Group J, she is likely to meet world No. 12 Mia Blichfeldt of Denmark. A potential quarter-final can also take place against Akane Yamaguchi of Japan.
Sai Praneeth is in Group D with world No. 29 Mark Caljouw of Netherlands and Misha Zilberman of Israel, who is ranked world No. 47.
Chirag and Satwiksairaj will meet the Chinese Taipei duo in men’s doubles opener
The world No. 10 men’s doubles pairing of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy will lock horns with Chinese Taipei duo Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin in their opening Group A match.
The men’s doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy will have to give it their all f they want to make the cut for the knockout rounds.
The men’s doubles Group A consists of world No. 1 Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo and Marcus Fernaldi Gideon (Indonesia) and world No. 3 pairing of Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin of Chinese Taipei. It also has the world No. 18 duo of Ben Lane and Sean Vendy of England.
GROUPINGS
Women’s singles
Group J:
1. PV Sindhu (India)
2. Cheung Ngan Yi (Hong Kong China)
3. Ksenia Polikarpova (Israel)
Men’s singles
Group D:
1. B Sai Praneeth (India)
2. Mark Caljouw (Netherlands)
3. Misha Zilberman (Israel)
Men’s doubles
Group A:
1. Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo/Marcus Fernaldi Gideon (Indonesia)
2. Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin (Chinese Taipei)
3. Ben Lane/Sean Vendy (England)
4. Chirag Shetty/Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (India).
