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Match details
Fixture: (7) Kidambi Srikanth vs Mithun Manjunath.
Tournament: Singapore Open 2022.
Date: July 13, 2022.
Round: First Round (Round of 32).
Venue: Singapore.
Category: HSBC BWF World Tour Super 500.
Match timing: Not before 11.15 am local time, 8.45 am IST.
Prize money: $370,000.
Live streaming: BWF TV.
Kidambi Srikanth vs Mithun Manjunath preview
Seventh seed Kidambi Srikanth opens his 2022 Singapore Open campaign against rising star Mithun Manjunath in an all-Indian clash on Wednesday.
Srikanth has fond memories of dazzling in Singapore in 2017 before going down to compatriot B. Sai Praneeth in three tight games in the final. The Indian shuttler went on a tear for the rest of the season, collecting four Superseries titles.
Five years later, the former World No. 1 will hope for the same magic touch in Singapore as he continues his last-minute preparations for the Commonwealth Games, scheduled to begin on July 28.
Srikanth hasn't played much in the ongoing Asian swing. His solitary outing at the Indonesia Open ended in a shock first-round defeat to French veteran Brice Leverdez last month. Hence, he will be doubly motivated to build some much-needed rhythm at the Singapore Open ahead of the Birmingham Games.
World No. 77 Mithun Manjunath, meanwhile, has had a strong domestic showing, winning four All-India ranked titles in his career. It, however, took the 23-year-old some time to find his footing on the international circuit.
The Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy student has finally been making rapid strides over the past few months after working hard on his fitness last year. Manjunath reached the semi-finals of the Syed Modi International and the quarter-finals of the Odisha Open this season before his breakthrough run at the Orleans Masters in March.
He stunned Danish veteran Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus on his way to his maiden Super 100 final, where he finished runner-up to Toma Junior Popov.
At the ongoing Singapore Open, Manjunath won a couple of matches in qualifying to secure a main draw berth on Tuesday.
Kidambi Srikanth vs Mithun Manjunath head-to-head
Srikanth and Manjunath have never squared off on the tour before, so their head-to-head currently stands at a 0-0 deadlock.
Kidambi Srikanth vs Mithun Manjunath prediction
Although Manjunath has been making progress of late, overcoming older compatriot Srikanth could still be an uphill task for him. Srikanth will be determined to make it deep into the Singapore draw before heading to Birmingham with some strong momentum.
If the World No. 11 brings his uber-aggressive game to the fore right from the start, Manjunath might not find much of a chance to impose himself.
Pick: Srikanth to win in straight games.
