'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
HS Prannoy and Priyanshu Rajawat lock horns on Saturday (August 5) in an all-Indian men's singles semifinal at the Australian Open 2023. Both Indians registered wins over higher-ranked opponents in the quarterfinals of the Super 500 event in Sydney on Friday, albeit in contrasting fashion.
Rising star Priyanshu Rajawat gave former World No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth no chance to settle before sailing away to a heavily one-sided 21-13, 21-8 win. It marked his entry into the semifinals of a Super 500 tournament for the first time this year.
World No. 9 Prannoy, meanwhile, did it the hard way. The sixth seed stormed back from a game down to knock out top seed and World No. 2 Anthony Sinisuka Ginting 16-21, 21-17, 21-14 in a battle that lasted one hour and 13 minutes.
Both Prannoy and Rajawat are seeking their second BWF titles of the season.
Australian Open Badminton 2023, HS Prannoy vs Priyanshu Rajawat: Head-to-head and Prediction
HS Prannoy leads 1-0 in his head-to-head with Priyanshu Rajawat. The older Indian staved off a spirited challenge from the 21-year-old to eke out a 21-11, 16-21, 21-18 win in their only meeting at the 2022 Syed Modi International.
That match definitely gave Prannoy a good measure of Rajawat's immense talent. The Madhya Pradesh shuttler has made rapid progress since then.
In the last few months, the youngster has made two finals on the BWF World Tour. While he lost the summit clash at the Super 100 Odisha Open last year, he went on to taste glory at the Super 300 Orleans Masters earlier this season.
He's playing with a fearless attitude and a confidence never seen before. In three matches this week, the 31st-ranked shuttler has dropped a game only once — against World No. 28 Wang Tzu Wei. His tactical acumen and smart net play stood out.
Rajawat needs to bring more of the same against his 31-year-old compatriot on Saturday if he wants to continue his giant-killing spree. Prannoy has been enjoying a solid season. Apart from winning the Malaysia Masters, the Keralite has made two semifinals on the tour this year and four quarterfinals.
His fighting spirit has been admirable all week in Sydney. The sixth seed has won all three of his matches in three games, with the one over Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Ginting being the biggest of them all.
Considering how intelligently he tackled Ginting's net play, he should be ready for Rajawat. Nevertheless, the youngster has it in him to produce yet another upset especially if Prannoy feels fatigued after his early-round marathons.
Also Read: Australian Open Badminton 2023: Preview, schedule, where to watch & live streaming details in India
Australian Open Badminton 2023, HS Prannoy vs Priyanshu Rajawat: Date and time
HS Prannoy and Priyanshu Rajawat will face off in the men's singles semifinals at the Australian Open Badminton 2023 on Saturday in the seventh match of the day on Court 1.
Date: August 5, 2023
Round: Semifinals
Time: Approx. 4.30 pm local time; 12 noon IST
Venue: State Sports Centre in Sydney, Australia
Australian Open Badminton 2023, HS Prannoy vs Priyanshu Rajawat: 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.
