French Open SS 2017: Srikanth Kidambi vs Kenta Nishimoto final - start time, telecast, live streaming and where to watch online

For the second week in a row, Srikanth Kidambi is the last Indian standing at a Superseries tournament. The Guntur-born shuttler, who won the Denmark Open last week, has set his sights on back-to-back titles for the second time this year as he plays the French Open final in Paris today.

Here is all the information you need to know:

Tournament name: Yonex French Open

Category: World Superseries

Prize money: $325, 000

Venue: Stade Pierre de Coubertin, Paris

Round: Final

Date: Sunday, October 29, 2017

Time:

(8) Srikanth Kidambi vs Kenta Nishimoto at approx. 7-7.30pm IST

Channel: Star Sports 2/Star Sports 2 HD

Live Streaming: hotstar.com

Preview

(8) Srikanth Kidambi (WR #4) vs Kenta Nishimoto (WR #40)

Head-to-head: Srikanth leads 1-0

A champion is one who always finds a way to win even when he has not been playing at his best. In his last couple of matches at the French Open Superseries this week, Srikanth Kidambi has looked jaded, powerless and unable to show his usually impeccable movement.

But he still willed himself to cross the finish line in a remarkable fashion. Against defending champion Shi Yuqi in the quarter-finals, he was thoroughly outplayed 8-21 in the first game. Right when it looked like his immaculate winning streak has finally caught up with him, Srikanth awoke and ground out the second game, 21-19 and then cruised through the decider, 21-9 to enter the semi-finals.

Even in the last-four contest, his compatriot, HS Prannoy looked the stronger of the two for better part of the match. The 24-year-old still succeeded in bringing forth his very best in the last few points and snatched the 14-21, 21-19, 21-18 win.

These fantastic finishing skills of Srikanth have been instrumental in helping him win a staggering 36 matches on the BWF Tour -- the highest so far among all men’s singles players in 2017. It was evident even in his blockbuster quarter-final encounter with Viktor Axelsen at the Denmark Open where he rebounded from a first-game loss to edge the world champion in a tight second game and then ran away in the decider.

There is just one more match left in Paris for Srikanth to lay his hands on a Superseries trophy for the fourth time this year, with his other wins coming at the Indonesia Open, the Australian Open and at Denmark last week.

He knows what it takes to win titles at the highest level of the sport for two consecutive weeks, having accomplished it in June. And he could not have asked for an opponent other than Kenta Nishimoto in the final.

The Japanese has been a qualifier this week. Even though he has accounted for some big names that include Lee Chong Wei, this is a new experience for him. He has never been in a Superseries final prior to this, in contrast to which, this is the fifth final at this level for the Indian.

Their only meeting so far has been at the Singapore Open in April where the Indian emerged a winner in straight games.

That win coupled with Srikanth’s vast big-match experience and his fabulous finishing ability will likely tilt the balance in the Pullela Gopichand protégé’s favour, no matter how tired he might seem.