Satwik-Chirag cynosure of all eyes as they kickstart campaign in Hylo Open tournament

Newly-crowned French Open champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will look to carry on the momentum when they begin their campaign at the Hylo Open Super 300 badminton tournament, here on Tuesday.

Commonwealth Games champions Satwik and Chirag notched up their biggest title of the season when they beat Chinese Taipei's Lu Ching Yao and Yang Po Han in the men's doubles finals of French Open on Sunday night.

The world number 8 pair has been in sensational form this season and will look to add another title to its cabinet when the third seeded duo opens its campaign against Chinese Taipei's Lee Yang and Lu Chen.

Top seeds Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi of Japan are also in their half of the draw but the Indian pair will take confidence from its win over the same opponents on way to the semifinals at Paris last week.

Among other Indians, Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth will compete in the singles competition of the USD 180,000 tournament, which was first held in 1988.

While 2019 champion Lakshya, seeded seventh, will have to quickly recover from his first round exit at Paris when he opens against Hong Kong's Ng Ka Long Angus, world No. 12 Prannoy will look to continue his consistent run when he takes on Indonesia's Shesar Hiren Rhustavito.

Srikanth, on the other hand, hasn't really clicked since his giant run in India's epic Thomas Cup win and the Commonwealth Games bronze medallist will look to get back his form when he opens against China's Lu Guang Zu. 

Sameer Verma, who looked in good touch last week, will face sixth seeded Indonesian Jonatan Christie in his opener. The world number 31 Indian had stunned world number 6 Anthony Sinisuka Ginting at French Open and will be eyeing another good outing here.

In women's singles, London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal has struggled to cross the opening hurdle of late and that would be the first thing on her mind when she meets Thailand's fourth seed Busanan Ongbamrungphan.

Upcoming player Aakarshi Kashyap, member of India's CWG silver medal-winning mixed team, takes on Lonice Huet of France.

The tournament will also see the likes of French Open runners-up Carolina Marina and former world champion Nozomi Okuhara in action.

Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will square off against local pair of Linda Efler and Isabel Lohau in the women's doubles, while Tanisha Crasto and Shruti Mishra, Rutaparna Panda and Swetaparna Panda, and Simran Singhi and Ritika Thaker are also in the fray.

In mixed doubles, Ishaan Bhatnagar and Tanisha Crasto will be up against Chinese pair of Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping, while National Games gold medallists Ashwini Ponnappa and Sai Pratheek will clash against second seeded French pair of Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue.

The Hylo Open was formerly known as BMW Badminton Cup, BMW Open, Bitburger Masters, Bitburger Open and SaarLorLux Open.