Jakarta: World No.1 shuttler Saina Nehwal has been seeded second and faces a likely clash against compatriot P.V. Sindhu in only the second round of the women’s singles at the $800,000 Indonesia Open Superseries Premier to be held here from June 2 to 7.
Saina, who has won here in 2009, 2010 and 2012, first takes on Thai Nichaon Jindapon against whom the Indian has won all three meetings yet. World No.12 Sindhu faces Hsu Ya Ching of Chinese Taipei. If both the Hyderabadi girls win, it means a clash of the two Indian badminton queens at the Istora Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.
Saina won the only official match played against Sindhu, winning the final in straight games to lift the India Grand Prix Gold Trophy in January 2014.
Reigning Olympic champion Li Xuerui of China has been seeded first.
In men’s singles, World No.4 Kidambi Srikanth has been seeded No.4 and opens his campaign against Danish World No.14 Hans-Kristian Vittinghus, who has a 1-0 advantage in career meetings of the Guntur-born.
Parupalli Kashyap is also in the same half of the draw and take on Thai Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk in the opener.
Pranaav Chopra and Akshay Dewalkar and Manu Attri and B. Sumeeth Reddy are the two Indian pairs in men’s doubles while two-time Commonwealth Games medallists Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa will lead the Indian challenge in women’s doubles. There will be no Indian representation in mixed doubles.
