Japan Open: Kidambi Srikanth, Parupalli Kashyap and Ajay Jayaram lead Indian challenge

Tokyo: Rio Olympics quarter-finalist Kidambi Srikanth will be back on the court leading the Indian challenge at the USD 300,000 Japan Super Series, which starts with qualifiers on Tuesday. Srikanth had enthralled his fans back home when he produced a gallant fight before losing narrowly to two-time Olympic gold medallist and five-time World champion Lin Dan in the quarter-finals. [caption id=“attachment_3011632” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File photo of Kidambi Srikanth. AFP[/caption] The 23-year-old from Guntur, seeded eighth, will now open his campaign against a qualifier at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on Wednesday. Commonwealth Games champion Parupalli Kashyap, who endured one of the worst injury phases of his career to drop down the ranking after being forced to skip a series of events, will be starting the proceedings for India when he plays in the qualifying round. Kashyap will take on Austria’s David Obernosterer in the opening round, while Tanvi Lad will face Japan’s Chisato Hoshi in women’s singles qualifiers. In the main draw, World No 18 Ajay Jayaram will face Indonesia’s Sony Dwi Kuncoro, B Sai Praneeth will take on Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Long Angus and HS Prannoy will meet Malaysia’s Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin. “I had a good training session ahead of the Japan Open. The conditions will be a little different, it will have usual good drift and I think as the tournament starts it would be really slow, so have to play accordingly. I am playing Iskandar, I have played him before but that was two years back and he is a different player now. It will be tough. So, it’s one match at a time for me now,” Prannoy said. There is no Indian in the women’s singles main draw, or any of the doubles events.