Sindhu leads India's challenge at Hong Kong Open

Kowloon [Hong Kong], November 21 (ANI): Rio Olympic silver-medallist PV Sindhu will aim to bounce back from her recent quarter-final defeat at the China Open Super Series Premier when she leads India's challenge at the Hong Kong Super Series, beginning at Kowloon in Hong Kong on Tuesday.

After suffering a setback to fellow countrywomen Saina Nehwal in the finals of the Senior National Badminton Champion, Sindhu's hopes to get back to winning ways were once again shattered when she slumped to a 11-21, 10-21 defeat to China's Gao Fangjie in the last-four clash of the China Open last week.

Sindhu will now have to recover quickly from her recent defeat and need to be at her absolute best against a qualifier in the first round of the women's singles event.

Meanwhile, national champions Saina Nehwal and H S Prannoy will also look to end their season on high note when they head into the tournament.

While Prannoy will take on experienced Hu Yun of Hong Kong in the opening round of the men's singles event, Saina will kick start her campaign against Denmark's Mette Poulsen in the women's singles.

B Sai Praneeth and Parupalli Kashyap, who opted to sit out of the China Open, will both return to the action this week.

Praneeth will face second-seed Korean Son Wan Ho, while Kashyap will lock horns with Chinese Taipei's Kan Chao Yu in the qualifier

Sourabh Verma, another Indian in fray, will open his campaign against Tommy Sugiarto of Indonesia.

World number two Kidambi Srikanth, who recently became the first Indian and only the fourth male shuttler in the history to lift four Super Series titles in a calendar year by winning the French Open, will continue remain out of action for the second consecutive week after failing to recover fully from a muscle strain. (ANI)