Top-tier badminton action shifts from Bukit Jalil to Jakarta as Indonesia Open — the World Tour Super 1000 — begins on Tuesday, July 3.
Which TV channel is showing Indonesia Open 2018 badminton
Star Sports 2 and Star Sports 2 HD will provide live television coverage of the match in India. The live stream will be available on Hotstar and Jio TV.
Men's singles draw preview - Srikanth, Prannoy handed tough draws
Defending champion Kidambi Srikanth, seeded fourth, faces a stiff test as early as in the opening round against in-form Kento Momota.
The Japanese star had made light work of Srikanth in the semi-final of last week's Malaysia Open before falling to Lee Chong Wei and thereby failing to stretch his 21-match unbeaten streak.
The fourth seed has to considerably step up if he is to get past Momota and continue his title defence. Highlights of Chong Wei's win in Sunday's final might help the Guntur-born shuttler.
World number one and top seed Viktor Axelsen, who was knocked out early in Malaysia, faces a tricky test against local hope Jonatan Christie.
If the Dane manages to get past the young Indonesian shuttler, he may face India's Sameer Verma in the second round. A possible quarter-final outing against fifth seed and reigning Olympic champion Chen Long awaits.
Prannoy faces Lin Dan test
India's reigning national champion HS Prannoy, who is returning after a long break, will face a stiff test against Chinese legend Lin Dan in the opening round on Tuesday.
Former Singapore Open champion Sai Praneeth is also drawn in the first half of the draw and he will open his campaign against Chinese Taipei's Tzu Wei Wang.
Chong Wei, fresh from his Malaysia Open success, faces Ng Ka Long in the opening round and he may face second seed Son Wan Ho in the quarter-final.
Predicted quarter-final line-ups (men's singles)
- Viktor Axelsen [1] vs Chen Long [5]
- Shi Yuqi [3] vs Lin Dan
- Tommy Sugiarto vs Kento Momota
- Lee Chong Wei [4] vs Son Wan Ho [2]
Women's singles draw preview
World number one, top seed, Malaysia Open champion, and the unstoppable Tai Tzu Ying headlines the first half of the draw. She faces unseeded Saena Kawakami of Japan in the opening round and may have possible quarter-final outing against reigning Olympic champion and sixth seed Carolina Marin.
16-year-old Vaishnavi Jakka Reddy will be in action in Jakarta as the third Indian women's singles shuttler after PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal. Ranked 55 in BWF charts, the teenager faces higher-ranked Line Kjaersfeldt in the first round.
Meanwhile, Malaysia Open semi-finalist Sindhu faces Thailand's Pornpawee Chochuwong in the opening round and is likely to face eighth seed He Bingjiao of China in the quarter-final.
Saina, who went down to Akane Yamaguchi in the second round last week, will be hoping to come up with a better show in Jakarta. The reigning Commonwealth Games champion faces local shuttler Dinar Dyah Ayustine in the first round.
She has a good chance to avenge her defeat against Yamaguchi as the two shuttlers may meet in the last-eight round later this week.
Predicted quarter-final line-up (women's singles)
Tai Tzu Ying [1] vs Carolina Marin [6]
He Bingjiao [8] vs PV Sindhu [3]
Ratchanok Intanon [4] vs Sung Ji Hyun [7]
Akane Yamaguchi [2] vs Saina Nehwal
Global TV listings and live stream: Indonesia Open 2018
- Malaysia: Astro Arena, Astro Arena HD; Live stream: Astro Go
- China: CCTV 5+
