Syed Modi International Badminton to begin in Lucknow today

Saina Nehwal will hope for a turnaround and Lakshya Sen will eye his third BWF World Tour title at the Syed Modi International Badminton tournament, beginning in Lucknow today.

Three-time former champion, 29-year Saina, who has been battling illness and injuries, would hope to arrest the slide and end the season on a high this week. Saina Nehwal will begin her campaign against England's Chloe Birch. The 18-year-old Lakshya, on the other hand, will look to grab his maiden Super 300 crown this week



following his title triumphs at two Super 100 events -- Dutch and SaarLorLux Open -- this year. PV Sindhu has withdrawn from the tournament.

Meanwhile, K Srikanth will seek some quality performances under his belt.

The focus will also be on the men's doubles pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who won the Thailand Open Super 500 title and then reached the finals of French Open Super 750 this season.