Denmark Open: Sindhu faces daunting An Se-young test; Satwik-Chirag set to return (Preview)
Odense (Denmark), Oct 12 (IANS) PV Sindhu’s quest for another BWF World Tour title will begin with one of the toughest assignments in women’s badminton, while the return of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty adds further interest to India’s campaign at the Denmark Open 2026, which gets underway on Tuesday.
The BWF Super 750 tournament will bring together a strong international field, with India banking on its established stars and emerging talents to make an impact across the singles and doubles draws.
Sindhu, who captured the Japan Open Super 750 crown earlier this year, faces world No. 1 and Olympic champion An Se-young of the Republic of Korea in the opening round. The Indian, a two-time Olympic medallist currently ranked 10th in the world, has yet to register a win against An in 10 previous meetings.
The opening-round encounter will offer an early measure of Sindhu’s ambitions in Denmark, with the Indian needing to overcome a difficult head-to-head record against one of the most dominant players in the women’s game.
India’s women’s singles challenge also features Tanvi Sharma, Ashmita Chaliha, Devika Sihag and Unnati Hooda. Tanvi and Ashmita arrive with titles to their names this season, having won the Taipei Open and Korea Masters, respectively, in August.
In the men’s singles draw, Lakshya Sen will be eager to regain consistency after a season affected by injuries and fluctuating results. His runner-up finish at the All England Championships earlier this year remains a significant highlight, but the Indian faces another demanding start against world No. 3 Chou Tien-chen of Chinese Taipei.
Ayush Shetty and Kidambi Srikanth complete India’s men’s singles contingent. Srikanth, a former world No. 1, will return to a tournament he won in 2017, while Shetty will look to make his presence felt against a competitive field.
The men’s doubles competition will see Satwiksairaj and Chirag back on court for the first time since their quarter-final defeat at the Asian Games 2026, where they were unable to defend their title. The Indian pair have, however, enjoyed a productive year on the BWF World Tour, winning the Singapore Badminton Open and China Masters. Denmark presents an opportunity to add another trophy to their season’s collection.
In women’s doubles, World Championships bronze medallists Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will spearhead India’s challenge. Rutaparna Panda and Swetaparna Panda are the other Indian pair in the draw.
India will not have any representation in mixed doubles, leaving the country’s hopes concentrated in the other four categories.
With Sindhu facing the world’s top-ranked player immediately, Lakshya confronting a top-three opponent and the men’s doubles pair returning after their Asian Games setback, the opening rounds could prove decisive in shaping India’s campaign.
Where to watch: Badminton fans in India can watch the Denmark Open 2026 live on FanCode. The tournament will not be telecast live on any television channel in the country.
India squad:
Men’s singles: Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty, Kidambi Srikanth
Men’s doubles: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty
Women’s singles: PV Sindhu, Tanvi Sharma, Ashmita Chaliha, Devika Sihag, Unnati Hooda
Women’s doubles: Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand, Rutaparna Panda-Swetaparna Panda
–IANS
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