PV Sindhu will look to add an elusive title to her otherwise consistent run as she spearheads the Indian challenge at the Hong Kong World Tour Super 500 tournament beginning in Kowloon on Tuesday.

Women’s singles

Sindhu finished as the runner-up in the last edition after her gallant fight ended in defeat against world no 1 Tai Tzu Ying, and the Indian will have to once again bring her best to the fore to salvage any hopes of making the podium. Tai will be once again be favourite while Akane Yamaguchi, Carolina Marin’s presence makes this a tough field.

In a gruelling season, Sindhu managed to claim silver medals at the Commonwealth Games, World Championship and Asian Games. She also reached the finals at the India Open and Thailand Open. But, a title has remained out of her reach.

At the rear-end of the season, the Indian will have to go full throttle if she has to reach the summit clash again.

Sindhu begins her campaign against Thailand’s Nitchaon Jindapol, against whom she has a 4-1 head-to-head record, having won the last three matches. The world no 3 is likely to face China’s He Bingjiao in the quarter-finals, an opponent who has defeated her thrice this year.

Saina Nehwal, who claimed a second Commonwealth Games gold and a bronze at the Asian Games this season, will have a tough task on her hands when she faces the formidable Yamaguchi, the second seeded Japanese in the opening round. Incidentally, the Indian had beaten the Japanese in the second round at Odense.

Should she progress to the quarter-finals, she might find Ratchanok Intanon in her way. Should Sindhu and Saina both make it to the weekend, they would face each other in the semi-final.

Saina will have to produce the kind of form that she displayed on way to the Denmark Open final last month.

Men’s singles

In the men’s singles, Kidambi Srikanth will face Hong Kong’s Wong Wing Ki Vincent in the opener and might face compatriot HS Prannoy in the second round if he crosses the opening hurdle. Prannoy opens his campaign against Denmark’s Anders Antonsen, an opponent he had defeated at the Japan Open last year in their only meeting.

Srikanth and Prannoy are both in the bottom half of the draw and won’t have to face the red-hot world No 1 Kento Momota till the final. A potential semi-final against Chen Long or Shi Yuqi would be the reward for either Indian should they reach the weekend.

Also in action will be Sameer Verma, who won the Swiss Open and Hyderabad Open this season. The 24-year-old will take on Thailand’s Suppanyu Avihingsanon in the first round. B Sai Praneeth, who won the Singapore Open last year, will also face a Thai player in Khosit Phetpradab in the opening round.

Parupalli Kashyap is also in the fray, but he will feature in the qualification stages.

Doubles

The men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, who reached the semi-finals at the French Open, will have to fight it out against former world no 1 and London Olympic silver medallist combination of Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen of Denmark in the first round. A win in that match would set up a second round clash against the irresistible Indonesian pairing of Kevin Sukamuljo and Marcus Gideon – the current world No 1.

Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy will take on Thailand pair of Bodin Isara and Maneepong Jongjit in the opener. In the women’s doubles, Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy will square off against the second seeded Japanese pair of Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi in the opening round.

Ashwini will also pair up with Satwik to take on Wang Chi-Lin and Lee Chia Hsin in mixed doubles.