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Two familiar rivals will go head to head as Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen takes on Thai ace Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the third round of the BWF World Championships at Copenhagen on Thursday (August 24).
While Vitidsarn is seeded third, Sen has got the 11th billing at this prestigious event.
Both the 22-year-olds have previously earned medals from the World Championships, making this a highly awaited affair. The Indian, ranked 11th in the world currently, collected the bronze medal in the 2021 edition at Huelva.
World No. 3 Vitidsarn, meanwhile, settled for the silver medal last year after finishing as the runner-up to Viktor Axelsen in Tokyo.
Both of them have breezed through their first couple of rounds at the ongoing BWF World Championships so far this week. Sen thrashed Georges Julien Paul 21-12, 21-7 and Jeon Hyeok Jin 21-11, 21-12. Vitidsarn, on the other hand, dismissed Jonathan Matias 21-16, 21-14 and Brazilian veteran Ygor Coelho 21-9, 21-18 to enter the Round of 16.
BWF World Championships 2023, Lakshya Sen vs Kunlavut Vitidsarn: Head-to-head and Prediction
Having known each other since their junior days, Sen and Vitidsarn have already locked horns nine times over the course of their young careers. The Thai holds a slight 5-4 edge over Sen in their head-to-head.
In 2023, they have squared off twice already, splitting their two meetings so far. At the Thailand Open, Vitidsarn got the better of Sen in three games. The Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy student, meanwhile, exacted revenge at the Canada Open in straight games.
Both have won titles this year, although they have been hampered by their fair share of illnesses and injuries, preventing them from turning up at their best level at every tournament they have taken part in.
Sen won his solitary title at the Canada Open while reaching the last four at the Japan Open, US Open and the Thailand Open.
Vitidsarn, meanwhile, tasted glory at the India Open and the Thailand Open, besides finishing as the runner-up at the US Open.
Having got the measure of each other so many times, both know what to expect from the other. It remains to be seen who manages to make fewer errors of the two in his highly anticipated showdown.
BWF World Championships 2023, Lakshya Sen vs Kunlavut Vitidsarn: Date and time
Lakshya Sen and Kunlavut Vitidsarn will face off in the men's singles Round of 16 at the BWF World Championships 2023 on Thursday in the eighth match of the day on Court 2.
Date: August 24, 2023
Round: Third round (Round of 16)
Time: Approx. 6.30pm local time; 10pm IST
Venue: Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark
BWF World Championships 2023, Lakshya Sen vs Kunlavut Vitidsarn: Where to watch & live streaming details
This BWF World Championships 2023 match will be broadcast live in India on the Sports18 1 and Sports18 1 HD channels. It will also be shown live on the Jio Cinema app.
Live streaming will be available on YouTube on BWF.TV too. Live scores can also be followed on the tournament software.
