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Sixth seed HS Prannoy begins his Australian Open Badminton 2023 campaign with a tough first-round clash against World No. 15 Lee Cheuk Yiu in Sydney on Wednesday, August 2.
Prannoy has been in fine form this season. Currently India's No. 1 in men's singles, the Keralite has a title to show for this year, which he earned at the Malaysia Masters.
The ninth-ranked Indian has come into the Super 500 tournament Down Under on the back of a quarterfinal appearance at the Japan Open. Prannoy stretched the World No. 1 and eventual champion Viktor Axelsen to three games before bowing out.
Buoyed by that performance, the 31-year-old will be eager to build on it in Sydney.
Australian Open Badminton 2023, HS Prannoy vs Lee Cheuk Yiu: Head-to-head and Prediction
Lee Cheuk Yiu holds a 2-1 edge over HS Prannoy in their head-to-head. Their most recent encounter was at the Korea Open last month, where the Hong Kong shuttler came through 21-15, 19-21, 21-18.
Lee Cheuk Yiu was a promising junior who won the silver medal at the 2013 Asian Youth Games and the bronze medal at the 2014 Asian Junior Championships.
At the senior level, the 26-year-old has a solitary title at the erstwhile BWF Grand Prix level at the 2017 New Zealand Open. On the current BWF World Tour, he won the 2019 Hong Kong Open.
This season, the World No. 15 had his best showing at the Thailand Open, where he finished as the runner-up to Kunlavut Vitidsarn. Other than that, he has made the semifinals at the German Open, and the quarterfinals at the Korea Open, the Badminton Asia Championships, the Swiss Open, and the Thailand Masters.
Clearly, the Hong Kong ace has made rapid strides this season and looks far more consistent. HS Prannoy would need to cut down on his unforced errors if he wants to avenge his Korea Open defeat to Lee.
Read: Australian Open Badminton 2023: Preview, schedule, where to watch & live streaming details in India
Australian Open Badminton 2023, HS Prannoy vs Lee Cheuk Yiu: Date and time
HS Prannoy will cross swords with Lee Cheuk Yiu in the men's singles first round at the Australian Open Badminton 2023 on Wednesday in the ninth match of the day on Court 2.
Date: August 2, 2023
Round: First round (Round of 32)
Time: Approx. 2.45 pm local time; 10.15 am IST
Venue: State Sports Centre in Sydney, Australia
Australian Open Badminton 2023, HS Prannoy vs Lee Cheuk Yiu: Where to watch & live streaming details
This Australian Open Badminton 2023 match will not be broadcast live on any channel in India. Live streaming will, however, be available on YouTube on BWF.TV. Live scores can also be followed on the tournament software.
