The Chinese national badminton team is set to compete with a total of 30 players in the upcoming 2025 India Open. The team faces a challenging draw, with both the men's singles and doubles categories seeing their players clustered in one half of the bracket. Notably, all four pairs of the men's doubles are placed in the lower half, with some facing each other in the first round, which is considered an unfavorable draw.
In the men's singles category, five players will represent China. Top seed Shi Yuqi is in the 1/4 section and will face French rising star Laniere in the first round. Li Shifeng and Weng Hongyang are also in the 1/4 section, with Li Shifeng playing against Liang Junhao and Weng Hongyang against Lakshya Sen. If both manage to win their first-round matches, they will face each other in the second round, with the winner likely to compete against Shi Yuqi for a spot in the semifinals. Shi Yuqi recently won the men's singles title at the Malaysia Open and is in top form, making him the favorite to advance from the 1/4 section. Lu Guangzu is in the 2/4 section and will play against Gintoki in the first round, potentially facing the 4th seed Kunlavut if he progresses. Lei Lanxi is in the 4/4 section and will face French player Popov Jr., with the 2nd seed Jonathan as his potential opponent in the same section, making it a tough challenge to break through.
For the women's singles, three players will compete, all placed in the lower half of the draw. The 2nd seed Wang Zhiyi is in the 4/4 section and will face Zhang Beiwen in the first round, with a possible second-round match against Danish veteran Mia. Gao Fangjie and Han Yue are both in the 3/4 section, with Gao Fangjie playing against Lin Xiangti and Han Yue against Malvika Bansod. It is expected that these two Chinese players could meet in the quarterfinals, potentially competing against Wang Zhiyi for a place in the final.
In the men's doubles, four pairs will participate, but all are in the lower half of the draw. Xie Haonan/Zeng Weihan and Chen Boyang/Liu Yi are both in the 3/4 section and will face each other in the first round. The winners could potentially face the 5th seeds, Xie Dingshan/Soh Wooi Yik, in the second round. He Jiting/Ren Xiaoyu and Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang are both in the 4/4 section, with He Jiting/Ren Xiaoyu playing against the Danish pair Rasmussen/Madsen and Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang against the Malaysian pair Ong Yew Sin/Tee Jun Hao. It is hoped that these two pairs can successfully meet in the quarterfinals.
For the women's doubles, three pairs will compete, with the top-seeded Liu Shengshu/Tan Ning in the 1/4 section facing the Austrian pair Selina/Hagelspeil in the first round. Li Yijing/Luo Xumin are in the 2/4 section and will face the Indian pair Ganesh/Sikandar in the first round, while Jia Yifan/Zhang Shuxian are in the 3/4 section and will face the Chinese Taipei pair Song Shuoyun/Yu Qianhui in the first round.
In mixed doubles, four pairs will participate, with the top-seeded Feng Yanzhe/Huang Dongping in the 1/4 section facing the Chinese Taipei pair Ye Hongwei/Zhan Youzhen in the first round. Cheng Xing/Zhang Chi are also in the 1/4 section and will face the American pair Wang Tuan/Eva Wang in the first round. Guo Xinwa/Chen Fanghui are in the 4/4 section and will face Tabolin/Bor in the first round, while Jiang Zhenbang/Wei Yaxin are also in the 4/4 section and will face the English pair Mears/Jenny in the first round. From the matchups, the best-case scenario for these four pairs would be to meet in the quarterfinals.
This article is originally written by Xiao Li Zi. Please do not plagiarize or republish without permission.