It’s quarterfinals day at Syed Modi India International 2024.

Let’s look at some fun facts about the Super 300 event, the year’s last HSBC BWF World Tour tournament before the focus shifts to the grand season finale in Hangzhou.

• Lakshya Sen is the only starting top seed yet to taste glory.
• Five former podium toppers were in the first round, including Pusarla V. Sindhu (2017, 2022), Teoh Mei Xing (2022 with Anna Teoh) and Sikki Reddy (2017 with Pranaav Jerry Chopra).
• Ishaan Bhatnagar/Tanisha Crasto, the winning mixed pair of two years ago, compete with new partners.
• Bhatnagar is into the men’s doubles last eight with Sankar Prasad Udayakumar while Crasto is also in women’s doubles – a sector India have never aced – alongside Ashwini Ponnappa.
• Another victory for Pusarla will make her the joint-most successful player (with Saina Nehwal) in tournament history.
• The host shuttlers however, had a barren run in 2023, just the third time that has happened in the last 10 years.
• Thailand, the nation other than India to start with seeds in all five departments, had their last success in 2012 via women’s pair Savitree Amitrapai/Sapsiree Taerattanachai.
• Taerattanachai’s ex-sidekick Dechapol Puavaranukroh is through to both the men’s doubles (with Kittnupong Kedren) and mixed doubles (Supissara Paewsampran) quarterfinals.
• Puavaranukroh and Crasto stand to emulate China’s Tang Jinhua as the sole player to win two categories (women’s and mixed doubles) at the same edition (2010).

Standout Stat: China remain the only country to have produced winners in all five categories.