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World No. 12 HS Prannoy will start his quest for the BWF World Tour Finals 2022 title with a round-robin match against 14th-ranked Kodai Naraoka in Bangkok, Thailand, on Wednesday.
The top eight players of the season make it to the year-ending championships and Prannoy has secured his place with some consistent displays throughout 2022. Although he lacked a title, the 30-year-old had his strongest season yet, with a runner-up finish at the Swiss Open and a quarterfinal finish at the BWF World Championships standing out.
The Keralite also reached the semifinals of the Super 1000 Indonesia Open and the Super 500 Malaysia Masters, in addition to playing a key role in India's historic Thomas Cup triumph.
Prannoy's sterling performances earned him India's sole entry in the men's singles category at the 2022 BWF World Tour Finals, where he is seeded third. However, anything short of his best won't suffice in his debut appearance at the year-ending championships.
The Pullela Gopichand protégé has been placed in Group A, alongside the likes of World No. 1 Viktor Axelsen, World No. 17 Lu Guang Zu and the aforementioned Naraoka.
HS Prannoy vs Kodai Naraoka: Head-to-head & prediction
Japan's 21-year-old Kodai Naraoka has a 1-0 lead in the head-to-head against Prannoy, making things difficult for the Indian. Their only meeting so far was earlier this year at the Singapore Open, ending 12-21, 21-14, 21-18 in Naraoka's favor.
The fast-rising youngster, a former World Junior Championships silver medalist, had a stellar 2022 season. He reached the finals of the Korea Masters, Singapore Open, and Taipei Open before emerging victorious at the Super 100 Vietnam Open in October. Naraoka also made the last-four stage in four other events.
The Japanese shuttler bagged the Eddy Choong Most Promising Player of the Year award at the BWF Awards for his spectacular rise up the rankings charts.
He will be eager to build on it and give Prannoy a hard time as they cross swords in their first round-robin outing at the BWF World Tour Finals. It remains to be seen if experience trumps youth in their second-ever face-off.
HS Prannoy vs Kodai Naraoka: Date and time
HS Prannoy will take on Kodai Naraoka in his first round-robin match at the BWF World Tour Finals 2022 on Wednesday.
Date: December 7, 2022.
Time: Approx. 3.30 pm local time, 2 pm IST.
HS Prannoy vs Kodai Naraoka: Where to watch & live streaming details
The BWF World Tour Finals 2022 will be broadcast live in India on Sports18 1 and Sports18 1 HD channels from December 7. Matches can also be watched on Voot Select.
Live streaming is available on YouTube on BWF.TV in selected territories as well. Live scores can also be followed on the tournament software here.
