The Indonesian Open Super 1000 starts today, with double Olympic medalist PV Sindhu and rising star Lakshya Sen leading the Indian contingent. Both players face a tough start as the prestigious BWF World Tour event returns to Jakarta's iconic Istora Senayan after a three-year hiatus. This competition is the second Super 1000 tournament of 2022, following in the footsteps of the All England Open.
Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu and Indian rising star Lakshya Sen will seek consistency when they headline India’s charge at the Indonesian Open Super 1000 badminton tournament that begins today. Both Sindhu and Sen would face difficulties in their opening round matches as one of the biggest BWF World Tour events have returned to the iconic Isotran Senayan in Jakarta after three years. Indonesian Open will be the second Super 1000 tournament of 2022 after the All England Open.
Despite winning two Super 300 titles so far this year, former world champion PV Sindhu has struggled to maintain a winning streak against the top-tier rankings. Her recent record includes losses to Chen Yu Fei of China and An Se Young from Korea, as well as a straight-games quarterfinal exit against Thailand's Ratchanok Inthanon at the Indonesian Masters Super 500.
Sindhu is renowned for stepping up her game when the stakes are highest, and she is eager to prove herself once again. A strong performance here would serve as the perfect warm-up for next month's Commonwealth Games. The seventh seed will open her campaign against He Bingjiao; despite a slight disadvantage in their overall head-to-head record (8-9), Sindhu's previous win over Bingjiao at the Badminton Asia Championship gives her a psychological edge.
Meanwhile, Lakshya Sen has shown flashes of brilliance against top-seeded opponents recently, but his main challenge remains consistency. While his tenacity on court is undeniable, unforced errors have occasionally cost him. The 20-year-old recently exited the Indonesian Masters in the quarterfinals after a match with Chou Tien Chen. He now faces a tricky first-round encounter against his own teammate, HS Prannoy.
Both Sen and Prannoy were instrumental in India's success at the Thomas Cup. In their two BWF World Tour meetings this year—specifically at the German Open and the India Open—Sen emerged victorious both times. Sen's impressive run saw him reach the finals of both tournaments, ultimately claiming the title at the India Open.
The tournament will be missing several high-profile names, including women's singles star Saina Nehwal and the men's doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. Additionally, Denmark's third seed, Anders Antonsen, will not be participating in this Super 1000 event.