Taiwan's Tai Tzu Ying (Image Above) has been given the top billing in the season-ending Dubai World Superseries Finals which begin at the Hamdan Sports Complex in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Wednesday.
However, it is the luck of the draw that has pitted Rio de Janeiro Olympics singles finalists – Spain's Carolina Marin and India's P.V. Sindhu – which has drawn a lot of interest. Marin won the gold in Rio while Sindhu, crowned as the Most Improved Player of Year this year, won the silver.
The two Olympics medallists have been in Group B together with Japan's Akane Yamaguchi and China's Sun Yu.
New World No 1 Tzu Ying, who knocked Marin off from the No 1 ranking in the latest Badminton World Federation's (BWF) ranking list, is in Group A with former World No 1 Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand, Korea's Sung Ji-hyun and China's He Bingjiao.
Tzu Ying won the Superseries Finals title in 2014 but remains humble and modest with her top seed status in Dubai.
"Irrespective of my ranking my mindset is the same. I enjoy playing and giving my best on the court. I feel no pressure as the top seed in Dubai," Tzu Ying told BWF's website.
China's Rio Olympics gold medallists Chen Long has turned down the wildcard invitation which paves the way for Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei, the current World No 1 to go for his fifth Superseries Finals title.
The Malaysian ace won the titles in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2013. He got a timesly boost for his campaign in Dubai when he was named the Best Male Player of the Year two days ago.
Chong Wei is drawn in Group B and has Hong Kong's Angus Ng Ka Long, Korea's Son Wan-ho and Denmark's Rio Olympics bronze medal winner Viktor Axelsen for company.
Group A has top seed Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark, China's Tian Houwei, Germany's Marc Zwiebler and Hu Yun of Hong Kong.
Japan's Takeshi Kamura-Keigo Sonoda who won their first Superseries title when they bagged the Yonex Hong Kong Open to become Japan's first winners in the tournament, are the top seeds in the men's doubles and drawn in Group A.
Malaysia's World No 1 Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong are seeded No 2 and drawn in Group B. China's Chai Biao-Hong Wei, twice runners-up in Dubai (2014 and 2015) are in the same group.
Olympic champions and World No 1 Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi are the top seeds in the women's doubles with Olympic silver medallist Christinna Pedersen-Kamilla Rhytter Juhl (Denmark) seeded second.
In the mixed doubles Group A is made up of Olympic champions Tontowi Ahmad-Liliyana Natsir (Indonesia), Denmark Open champions Joachim Fischer Nielsen-Christinna Pedersen (Denmark) and Yonex All England champions Preveen Jordan-Debby Susanto (Indonesia). Defending champions – husband and wife team of Chris Adcock and Gabrielle Adcock are in Group B.
GROUPINGS
Men's singles
GROUP A GROUP B
Jan O Jorgensen (Den) Son Wan-ho (Kor)
Tian Houwei (Chn) Angus Ng Ka Long (Hkg)
Marc Zwiebler (Ger) Lee Chong Wei (Mas)
Hu Yun (Hkg) Viktor Axelsen (Den)
Women's singles
GROUP A GROUP B
Tai Tzu Ying (Tpe) Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn)
Sung Ji-hyun (Kor) Sun Yu (Chn)
Ratchanok Intanon (Tha) P.V. Sindhu (Ind)
He Bingjiao (Chn) Carolina Marin (Spn)
Men's doubles
GROUP A GROUP B
Takeshi Kamura- Goh V Shem-
Keigo Sonoda (Jpn) Tan Wee Kiong (Mas)
Marcus Fernaldi Gideon- Chai Biao-
Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (Ina) Hong Wei (Chn)
Angga Pratama- Mathias Boe-
Ricky Karanda Suwardi (Ina) Carsten Mogensen (Den)
Mads Conrad Petersen- Li Junhui-
Mads Pieler Kolding (Den) Liu Yuchen (Chn)
Women's doubles
GROUP A GROUP B
Misaki Matsutomo- Christinna Pedersen-
Ayaka Takashi (Jpn) Kamilla Rhytter Juhl (Den)
Chang Ye-na- Jung Kyung-eun-
Lee So-hee (Kor) Shin Seung-chan (Kor)
Naoko Fukuman- Vivian Hoo-
Kurumi Yanao (Jpn) Woon Khe Wei (Mas)
Luo Ying- Chen Qingchen-
Luo Yu (Chn) Jia Yifan (Chn)
Mixed doubles
GROUP A GROUP B
Ko Sung-hyun- Lu Kai-
Kim Ha-na (Kor) Huang Yaqiong (Chn)
Joachim Fischer Nielsen- Zheng Siwei-
Christinna Perdersen (Den) Chen Qingchen (Chn)
Tontowi Ahmad- Kenta Kazuno-
Liliyana Natsir (Ina) Ayane Kurihara (Jpn)
Praveen Jordan- Chris Adcock-
Debby Susanto (Ina) Gabrielle Adcock (Eng)
