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Having recovered from a back injury, Indian badminton star HS Prannoy will make his much-awaited comeback at the Kumamoto Masters Japan 2023 this week. Seeded seventh, he will kick off his campaign at this Super 500 event against World No. 18 Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong on Wednesday.
The eighth-ranked Indian shuttler created ripples at the Asian Games in Hangzhou in September when he won a historic bronze medal in men's singles. Despite being troubled by a bad back, the Keralite went on to end India's 41-year wait for a men's singles medal from the mega continental event.
The injury, however, forced the 31-year-old to pull out of the entire European swing in October. Now recuperated and rejuvenated, Prannoy will look to pick up from where he left off in China.
Japan Masters 2023, HS Prannoy vs Lee Cheuk Yiu: Head-to-head and Prediction
Prannoy and Lee Cheuk Yiu are tied at 2-2 in their head-to-head. The two have already squared off twice this year, evenly splitting their two meetings.
While the Hong Kong player came out on top at the Korea Open, Prannoy exacted revenge at the Australian Open. With both their encounters going the distance, another thriller is on the cards at the Japan Masters.
HS Prannoy is currently in the midst of his career-best season. His biggest highlights include clinching the Malaysia Masters title, clinching a bronze medal at both the BWF World Championships and the Asian Games, and finishing as the runner-up at the Australian Open.
Lee Cheuk Yiu hasn't had a poor season either. The 27-year-old made the finals at the Thailand Open and the Hylo Open, ending as the second-best in both. The latter is where he made his most recent appearance on the tour earlier this month.
Prannoy thus needs to be wary of his opponent for Yiu is coming into the Japan Masters with some rich momentum behind him. That said, with the Indian fully rested and recharged his batteries, he will look to go all out and make it a memorable outing on Wednesday.
Japan Masters 2023, HS Prannoy vs Lee Cheuk Yiu: Date and time
Seventh seed HS Prannoy and Lee Cheuk Yiu will cross swords in the men's singles Round of 32 at the Japan Masters 2023 on Wednesday in the 15th match of the day on Court 2 at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium.
Date: November 15, 2023
Round: First round (Round of 32)
Time: Approx. 6.30 pm local time; 3.00 pm IST
Venue: Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium, Kumamoto, Japan
Japan Masters 2023, HS Prannoy vs Lee Cheuk Yiu: Where to watch & live streaming details
This Japan Masters 2023 match will not be broadcast live in India on any channel. Live streaming will, however, be available on YouTube on BWF.TV. Live scores can also be followed on the tournament software.
