Lakhsya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth to lead India's charge at Hylo Open 2025

New Delhi [India], October 27 (ANI): Lakshya Sen and former world number one Kidambi Srikanth will lead India's charge at the Hylo Open 2025 badminton tournament, kicking off Tuesday at Saarlandhalle in Saarbrucken, Germany.
World No. 16 Lakhsya Sen is the best-ranked Indian player in the men's singles draw.
Sen, who reached the semi-finals at the Paris 2024 Olympics, has struggled in the BWF World Tour 2025 season, suffering 11 first-round losses in 17 events, including a recent exit at the French Open.
However, he holds fond memories of the Hylo Open, having clinched the men's singles title in 2019, when the tournament was classified as a BWF Super 100 event, according to Olympics.com.
Sen faces a tough challenge against the fifth seed and defending champion Christo Popov of France in the opening round, aiming to turn his form around. The two players are evenly matched, with a current head-to-head record of 1-1.
Kidambi Srikanth will join the 24-year-old Indian badminton player in the men's singles draw. Kidambi Srikanth, who finished as runners-up in the Malaysia Masters in May after beginning the tournament in the qualifiers, will meet Kiran George in an all-Indian opening round clash.
Ayush Shetty, the reigning US Open champion and India's sole BWF World Tour title winner this year, is set to compete in the Hylo Open men's singles draw.
In the men's doubles, Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy and Sai Pratheek K represent India, while the women's doubles section is notably absent of Indian participants.
With two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu deciding to end her season early, a young squad of Anmol Kharb, Unnati Hooda, Aakarshi Kashyap, Anupama Upadhyaya and Tanya Hemanth will represent India in the women's singles main draw at Saarbrucken.
Meanwhile, Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Gadde will carry India's hopes in the mixed doubles draw.
Hylo Open 2025 badminton: India squad
Men's singles: Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, Kiran George, Ayush Shetty, Tharun Mannepalli, Sankar Subramanian
Men's doubles: Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy-Sai Pratheek K
Women's singles: Anmol Kharb, Unnati Hooda, Aakarshi Kashyap, Anupama Upadhyaya, Tanya Hemanth, Rakshitha Ramraj, Shriyanshi Valishetty
Mixed doubles: Rohan Kapoor-Ruthvika Gadde. (ANI)