Shuttlers Ajay Jayaram and Anand Pawar will spearhead the Indian challenge when they start their campaign in the men’s singles competition of the China Masters super series at Changzhou on Thursday.
World No. 24 Jayaram, who had a good run in the Indian Badminton League (IBL), will take on Chen Yuekun of China, ranked 30th, while Pawar will be up against top seed Chen Long.
While 39th-ranked Pawar is unlikely to cross the first hurdle, for Jayaram the road ahead will be equally tough.
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Jayaram would need to beat the likes of fourth seed Tommy Sugiarto of Indonesia and sixth seed Jan O. Jorgensen of Denmark to move ahead in the draw.
The Mumbai-based shuttler, who represented Hyderabad Hotshots, has been in good form since the world championship, where he had beaten World No. 13 Wing Ki Wong in Guangzhou.