PV Sindhu vs Mia Blichfeldt Olympics 2021 Badminton Singles preview: Prediction, ranking, when and where to watch (IST)

Indian shuttle queen PV Sindhu will aim for a spot in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Olympics 2021 when she takes on Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt on Thursday.

Having missed out on a gold medal at the Rio Olympics, the world champion will go all out this time around as she seeks a top-podium finish at the quadrennial Games. With defending champion Carolina Marin having pulled out due to an injury, Sindhu's chances might just have brightened slightly.

Nevertheless, the draw is still packed with quite a few established names, each of whom has the capability to cause an upset on her day.

Mia Blichfeldt is one who has been making rapid strides on the BWF World Tour of late. The Danish No. 1 women's singles shuttler won three titles in 2019, establishing herself in the top tier. She continued that form in the truncated 2020 season, reaching the quarters at the Denmark Open before making a brilliant start to the 2021 season.

She has made the semis in two events this year while reaching the quarters at the All England Open.

PV Sindhu, on the other hand, finished as the runner-up at the Swiss Open, besides reaching the semis at the All England Open and the quarters at the Toyota Thailand Open.

Even though Sindhu is the favorite, she has to be ready to face a tough challenge from the highly motivated World No. 12 Dane.

Check Out: Tokyo Olympics 2021 Schedule

When and where to watch

Fixture: (6) PV Sindhu vs (13) Mia Blichfeldt

Date: July 29, 2021

Time: 9.45 am local time, 6.15 am IST

Round: Pre-quarterfinals (Round of 16)

Live telecast: Doordarshan, Sony Ten 2, Sony Ten 2 HD, Sony Ten 3, Sony Ten 3 HD, Sony Ten 4, Sony Ten 4 HD, Sony Six, Sony Six HD

Live streaming: Sony Liv

PV Sindhu vs Mia Blichfeldt head-to-head

PV Sindhu has a 4-1 lead over Mia Blichfeldt in their head-to-head. The two have squared off twice already this year, sharing the wins.

While Blichfeldt earned her first-ever win over Sindhu at the Yonex Thailand Open, Sindhu restored order soon after at the Swiss Open with a 22-20, 21-10 win.

PV Sindhu vs Mia Blichfeldt ranking

While PV Sindhu is currently ranked seventh, Mia Blichfeldt is placed 12th in the world rankings.

PV Sindhu vs Mia Blichfeldt prediction

PV Sindhu

Both PV Sindhu and Mia Blichfeldt haven't had to work a lot in their respective group stage matches.

Sindhu comes into the knockouts on the back of a 21-7, 21-10 win over Ksenia Polikarpova and a 21-9, 21-16 win over Cheung Ngan Yi. The latter briefly put Sindhu to the test in the second game, where the two were locked in a tight contest until 13-13. But the Indian's power and deception made a difference towards the end.

It will stand her in good stead ahead of her next match against Blichfeldt, who has had some very comfortable outings in her group. Blichfeldt beat Hsuan-Yu Wendy Chen 21-7, 21-14 and Linda Zetchiri 21-10, 21-3.

Blichfeldt will look to lure Sindhu towards the net and go for the corners with her crosscourt smashes. The Indian needs to be ready to surprise the Dane with variations in pace and placement and ensure that Blichfeldt doesn't get to settle into the match.

Prediction: PV Sindhu to win in two tight games.

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