Saina, Sindhu get tricky draw at India Open

New Delhi, Mar 5:
Former champions P V Sindhu and Saina Nehwal have been handed tricky draws at the upcoming Yonex India Open which remains under the scanner in the wake of 29 positive novel coronavirus cases reported in the country.
Sindhu, a 2017 winner, will open her campaign against Hong Kong’s Cheung Ngan Yi and is expected to face seventh seed Michelle Li of Canada in the quarterfinals of the World Tour Super 500 tournament, starting March 24.
Saina, who had claimed the title in 2015, faces Chinese Taipei’s Pai Yu Po in the first round and is is likely to meet eighth seeded Korean Sung Ji Hyun in the second round.
The London Olympic bronze medallist is racing against time to qualify for her fourth straight Olympics.
In men’s singles, fifth seed Kidambi Srikanth, who is also trying to squeeze into the top 16 by April 28 deadline to make it to Tokyo, will square off against a qualifier and is expected to face compatriot Lakshya Sen, who too will open against a qualifier.
Third seed B Sai Praneeth, who is almost assured of a place in the Olympics, faces fellow Indian in HS Prannoy in the opening round.
Sameer Verma will meet Thailand’s Sitthikom Thammasin, Sourabh Verma takes on seventh seed Wang Tzu Wei of Chinese Taipei and Parupalli Kashyap faces Thailand’s Khosit Phetpradab in the first round.
Seventh seeded men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will open against Japan’s Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi.
However, the tournament itself seems to be in doubt with the total number of people infected by coronavirus in India going up to 29, including two cases in Delhi.
In the light of the development, the govt has suspended all regular visas/e-visas granted on or before March 3 to nationals of Italy, Iran, South Korea, Japan who have not yet entered India.
The Government has also made a 14-day quarantine period mandatory for the people coming from Republic of Korea, Iran and Italy to India. (PTI)

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