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PV Sindhu will begin her quest for her first Japan Open title with a tough first-round match against World No. 18 Zhang Yi Man in Tokyo on Wednesday, July 26.
The two-time Olympic medalist has been a pale shadow of herself all year on her return from a five-month injury layoff. Sindhu has only been to just one final this season, at the Madrid Spain Masters, where she meekly surrendered to Gregoria Mariska Tunjung.
Determined to get back to her best, PV Sindhu has now teamed up with former All England Open champion Muhammad Hafiz Hashim. However, the new partnership got off to a rocky start as the World No. 17 suffered a first-round exit at the Korea Open last week.
This week will be a stern test for the duo at the Super 750 Japan Open. Suffice to say, with the tricky Zhang Yi Man waiting in the first round, the former world champion will have a tough outing.
Japan Open 2023, PV Sindhu vs Zhang Yi Man: Head-to-head and Prediction
PV Sindhu and Zhang Yi Man are tied at 2-2 in their head-to-head. They have split their two meetings this year. While Zhang came out on top 21-17, 21-11 at the All England Open, Sindhu exacted revenge at the Malaysia Masters with a hard-fought 21-16, 13-21, 22-20 win.
It is thus evident that Zhang Yi Man is no stranger to troubling Sindhu. The Hunan-born Chinese shuttler has been making her mark on the tour for the past couple of years. Zhang grabbed a bronze medal at the 2021 World Championships, which remains among her biggest accomplishments.
On the BWF World Tour, the 26-year-old has made five finals so far, winning two. Her latest title came at the Thailand Masters in February this year. Since then, Zhang's notable results have been a couple of quarterfinals at the Malaysia Masters in May and most recently at the Korea Open last week.
While she isn't the most consistent player around, she has beaten PV Sindhu twice before. That could give the Chinese the courage and confidence to aim for an encore.
It remains to be seen if Sindhu manages to make a quick turnaround from the Korea Open setback and find her champion form back in Japan.
Read: Japan Open 2023: Preview, schedule, where to watch & live streaming details in India
Japan Open 2023, PV Sindhu vs Zhang Yi Man: Date and time
PV Sindhu and Zhang Yi Man will clash in the women's singles first round at the Japan Open 2023 on Wednesday in the sixth match of the day on Court 1.
Date: July 26, 2023
Round: First round (Round of 32)
Time: Approx. 1.40 pm local time; 10.10 am IST
Venue: Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan
Japan Open 2023, PV Sindhu vs Zhang Yi Man: Where to watch & live streaming details
This Japan Open match will be broadcast live in India on the Sports18 1 and Sports18 1 HD channels. It will also be shown live on the Jio Cinema app.
Live streaming will be available on YouTube on BWF.TV too. Live scores can also be followed on the tournament software.
