Saina Nehwal faces tough draw; all eyes on Sindhu, Srikanth to end 16-year wait.

Another Super Series season commences with badminton’s most established competition and the Indians hope to end their 16-year-old All England drought as PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal eye the subtle All England title.

All England Badminton Championships that commence in Birmingham on Wednesday. Sindhu starts against Mette Poulsen of Denmark, a player to whom she lost at the World Junior Championship in 2010. Much has changed after that and the Dane may not inconvenience the Indian this time. Sindhu faces the main real test against world No.1 Tai Tzu Ying in the quarter-finals.

“You should never take any match lightly. These days everyone is playing very well and you should give your best for every point,” said Sindhu,

“I am ready for the challenge. I am a completely different player now and my game has also improved a lot. At this level every match is very tough but I am ready for that,” she said.

Concerning the Indian men, the No 3 seed, Kidambi Srikanth has the most obvious opportunity with regards to stowing his first All England crown, in the wake of being honoured with a moderately simple draw.

“I have a feeling that we could win the title this year. Our shuttlers are doing well and many other factors are in our favour,” said Gopichand, the second and the last Indian to win this title in 2001.

Opening his battle with a first-regularly meeting with 31-year-old Frenchman Brice Leverdez, positioned 23rd on the planet, the 25 year old Srikanth has doughty Englishman Rajiv Ouseph or China’s Huang Yuxiang hindering his way to an anticipated quarter-last gathering with Chinese Taipei’s No 8 seed, Chou Tien Chen, champ of the German Open last Sunday.

Prakash Padukone, the principal Indian to win All England Championship in 1980, will be the main visitor of the occasion this year.