KUALA LUMPUR: Returning from a prolonged injury lay-off, PV Sindhu began the new season on a winning note along with the men's doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy as they entered the second round of the Malaysia Open Super 1000 badminton tournament on Wednesday.

The 30-year-old former world champion, who had opted to withdraw from all BWF World Tour events in October last year to recover from a foot injury, defeated Chinese Taipei's Sung Shuo Yun 21-14, 22-20 in a 51-minutes showdown of the women's singles opening round.

Later, Satwik and Chirag, the former World No 1 pair, saw off Chinese Taipei's Yang Po-Hsuan and Lee Jhe-Hue 21-13, 21-15 in 35 minutes to also enter the pre-quarterfinal.

The Asian Games champions, who had reached the semi-final of the season-ending BWF World Tour Finals in December, will face Malaysia's Junaidi Arif and Roy King Yap.

Lakshya to face Ayush in India Open first round

Indian shuttlers were handed a tricky draw at the India Open Super 750 tournament later this month, with former world champion PV Sindhu set to face Vietnam's Thuy Linh Nguyen, against whom she had lost twice recently, in the women's singles first round.

Lakshya Sen will open campaign against the talented Ayush Shetty in an all-Indian clash.

The tournament will be played from January 13 to 18 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.

The event will be a dress rehearsal for the BWF World Championships to be held at the same venue in August.

H S Prannoy, who got into the main draw after the withdrawal of Denmark's Anders Antonsen, will open his campaign against last edition finalist Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong.