Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy will go head-to-head in an all-Indian spherical of 16 encounter within the males’s singles occasion on the Japan Open 2023 in Tokyo. Srikanth, the previous world no.1 shuttler, obtained the higher of Chinese language Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen in straight video games 21-13, 21-13 in his spherical of 32 match whereas Prannoy, shocked All England 2023 champion, world no. 6 Li Shi Feng of China 21-17, 21-13.
Srikanth has not been on high of his sport of late. His highest development this season has been the quarterfinal appearances at Indonesia, Malaysia and Spain however the worrying issue has been the 5 first-round exits. Nevertheless, beneath new coach Wiempie Mahardi of Indonesia, Srikanth has made a vibrant begin by toppling Chou Tien Chen. The Chinese language Taipei’s shuttler may hardly problem Srikanth because the Indian gained each video games fairly comfortably.
Srikanth, nevertheless, may have his process minimize out in opposition to Prannoy, who gained his maiden BWF World Tour title on the Malaysia Masters in Could and is at present India’s top-ranked participant males’s singles participant.
The eighth seed Prannoy, who misplaced within the second spherical on the Korea Open final week bounced again in grad fashion to trump Li Shi Feng within the opening spherical. The primary sport was an in depth contest which Prannoy gained 21-17 after being run deep by Feng however the Indian gave the reigning All England Champion no probability within the second sport.
The Prannoy vs Srikanth spherical of 16 match will happen on Thursday.
Japan Opener 2023: Different Indians in motion
In different outcomes, India’s Akarshi Kashyap went all the way down to Japan’s Yamauchi 17-21, 17-21 within the spherical of 32 of ladies’s singles.
In girls’s doubles, the pair of Treesa Jolly and Pullela Gayatri Gopichand engaged in a battle in opposition to the Japanese duo of Sayaka Hobara and Suizu. Regardless of shedding the opening sport, the Indians prevailed 11-21, 21-15, 21-14 to enter the pre-quarters.
Within the combined doubles class, the Promoted from Reserves (PFR) Indian pair of Rohan Kapoor and Nelakurihi Sikki Reddy did not take advantage of their alternative, as regardless of successful the opening sport, they had been taken out by the Taiwanese duo of Ye Hong-wei and Lee Chia-Hsin 21-18, 9-21, 18-21
Double Olympics medalist PV Sindhu might be in motion on Thursday Zhang Yi Man, in opposition to whom the Indian gained within the Malaysian Open quarterfinals, en path to her semi-final end in Could this yr. With the most recent win, Sindhu has a 2-2 win-loss document in opposition to the Twentieth-ranked Chinese language.
However ought to Sindhu overcome the first-round hurdle, she is more likely to be up in opposition to her nemesis Tai Tzu Ying who has crushed the Indian 9 instances in a row within the current previous in her 19-5 win-loss document.
The match additionally marks the return of ace teen Lakshya Sen, who took a break and skipped the Korea Open after successful the Canada Open earlier this month.
Upcoming teen Priyanshu Rajawat and Sen will face one another in an all-Indian opening-round conflict.
Ought to Sen get previous Rajawat, he might face a tricky take a look at in second-seeded Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia within the subsequent spherical. Nationwide champion Mithun Manjunath was promoted to the draw and might be opening in opposition to China’s Weng Hong Yang.
