Lakshya Sen will begin his quest for the Australian Open Badminton 2023 title with an all-Indian first-round clash against World No. 55 Kiran George in Sydney on Wednesday, August 2.
The Commonwealth Games champion has arrived Down Under with a strong showing in July. After a few months of struggle, Sen seems to have regained his winning touch. He dominated the North American swing, finishing with a title at the Canada Open and a semi-final appearance at the US Open.
Lakshya carried the momentum into his next tournament — the Super 750 Japan Open — and made a run to the last four again.
With so many encouraging results under his belt, the 21-year-old will be eager to make his mark at the Australian Open ahead of the BWF World Championships later this month.
Australian Open Badminton 2023, Lakshya Sen vs Kiran George: Head-to-head and Prediction
Lakshya Sen has a staggering 7-0 lead over Kiran George in their head-to-head. Their last meeting was at the 2021 Denmark Masters, where Sen thumped George 21-16, 21-8.
He and Kiran George are highly familiar with each other's games, having played since the junior level. Both train at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy as well.
George's progress at the senior level has been slightly slower than his more accomplished academy mate. He has three titles on the BWF International level and one on the BWF World Tour, with the latter coming at the 2022 Odisha Open.
This year, the Kerala shuttler made a strong impression at the Super 500 Thailand Open, where he qualified and made the quarter-finals. The 23-year-old also reached the semi-finals of the Maldives International.
Although Kiran George has had a good couple of tournaments, overcoming World No. 11 Lakshya Sen could be a different ballgame altogether. Considering the experience Sen has gathered in the last few years and given his dominant record over his compatriot, he should be favored to have a cakewalk in their upcoming encounter.
Read Australian Open Badminton 2023: Preview, schedule, where to watch & live streaming details in India
Australian Open Badminton 2023, Lakshya Sen vs Kiran George: Date and time
Lakshya will meet George in the men's singles first round at the Australian Open Badminton 2023 on Wednesday in the 13th match of the day on Court 4.
Date: August 2, 2023
Round: First round (Round of 32)
Time: Approx. 6.30 pm local time; 2.00 pm IST
Venue: State Sports Centre in Sydney, Australia
Australian Open Badminton 2023, Lakshya Sen vs Kiran George: Where to watch & live streaming details
This Australian Open Badminton 2023 match will not be broadcast live on any channel in India. Live streaming will, however, be available on YouTube on BWF.TV. Live scores can also be followed on the tournament software.