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Having completed his recovery from an ankle injury, Kidambi Srikanth returns to action on the BWF World Tour at the Spain Masters 2020 in Barcelona today. This Super 300 tournament is crucial for providing vital points needed for Tokyo Olympic qualification.
With just seven weeks remaining before the cut-off period ends in April, there is no doubt that competition will be fierce as all the top shuttlers will be giving their all to fulfill their Olympic dream. Srikanth even pulled out of the fifth season of the just-concluded Premier Badminton League (PBL) in order to give himself more time to recuperate and be ready for the rigours of the BWF World Tour.
Having regained his full fitness, the Guntur-born shuttler would be aiming to go all out to chase his Olympic medal aspirations. Srikanth did show some of that intent when he grabbed two wins in three matches at the Badminton Asia Team Championships last week, although he still has a lot of room for improvement.
This week, he would surely leave no stone unturned in the Catalan capital. Seeded third, he has been presented with a relatively easier draw that will help him to get some good match practice before the rounds get tougher. First up for the World No. 12 is his compatriot Subhankar Dey, ranked 45th.
Srikanth has a 1-0 edge in their head-to-head record, having recorded a 21-17, 21-15 victory on his way to the Denmark Open title in 2017. It should give him plenty of confidence as the two cross swords more than two years later. That said, Srikanth cannot afford even a tiny bit of complacency for Dey has come to this tournament on the back of a spirited show at the continental event that saw him beat the likes of World No. 20 Shesar Hiren Rhustavito.
Here's all you need to know about the Spain Masters 2020 Schedule:
Tournament: Barcelona Spain Masters 2020
Category: BWF World Tour Super 300
City: Barcelona, Spain
Venue: Vall d'Hebron Olympic Sports Centre
Prize money: USD 170, 000
Tournament schedule: February 18-23, 2020
Match schedule: (3) Kidambi Srikanth vs Subhankar Dey first round expected to be approx around 7 pm IST on February 19, 2020
Where to watch the match in India?
There will be no live telecast of this match today. The Barcelona Spain Masters 2020 matches will be telecast live on Star Sports 2 and Star Sports 2 HD from the semi-final stages.
You can, however, follow the live scores here.
Also read | Tokyo Olympics 2020: Difficult road ahead for Kidambi Srikanth and Saina Nehwal
