5 June, 2023
Ben Lane and Sean Vendy will get the chance to prove themselves against the world’s best when action gets underway at the 2023 Singapore Open.
The English duo have been drawn against Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto in the opening round, with the Indonesian pairing currently well clear at the top of the men’s doubles world rankings.
Alfian and Ardianto have won both the Malaysia Open and YONEX All England Open so far this season, meaning they will certainly provide a stern test for Lane and Vendy.
However Lane and Vendy will approach this match with some confidence, having won two of their three previous meetings against Alfian and Ardianto.
Lane and Vendy won the first meeting between the two pairings at the Thailand Open in 2021, while they also prevailed the last time they met at the YONEX French Open at the tailend of last year.
Elsewhere, Chloe Birch and Lauren Smith will also be in action.
Birch and Smith start their campaign against Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai, with the Thai pair currently ranked ninth in the world – 15 spots above their English opponents.
#MondayMotivation Lauren Smith and Chloe Birch smashing through a rally last week 🔥
The girls are back on against World No. 9s, 🇹🇠Kititharakul/ Prajongjai in Singapore this week. All the best team! 💪🏼
Watch live on BWF YouTube channel or BT Sport.
📝: https://t.co/iZjq7h1NuZ pic.twitter.com/UKv6bQHpy4— Badminton England (@BadmintonEnglnd) June 5, 2023
The two pairings did face off at the YONEX Swiss Open earlier this year, when Birch and Smith progressed after Kititharakul and Prajongjai retired in the opening game.
There could also be a tough test in the second round should Birch and Smith prevail, with second seeds Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida likely the next opponents for whoever does win.
Meanwhile, Smith will also be in mixed doubles action alongside Marcus Ellis as the two look to build on some encouraging displays in recent weeks.
Smith and Ellis will begin their campaign on Tuesday with an opening match versus Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa and Natsu Saito, in what will be a first meeting between the two pairings.
Ranked 25th, Midorikawa and Saito are 32 spots above the English pairing in the world rankings but Ellis and Smith will be confident after some recent improvements in form.
