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HS Prannoy will look to end his season on a high as he takes on top seed Viktor Axelsen in his final round-robin match at the BWF World Tour Finals in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, December 9.
Having lost two nail-biters in his first couple of matches, the Keralite cannot progress further on his debut at the year-ending championships.
Prannoy was first edged by World No. 14 Kodai Naraoka 21-12, 9-21, 21-17 in his opener. In his second match of the tournament, the Pullela Gopichand protégé was involved in a marathon with the 17th-ranked Lu Guang Zu before succumbing to a 21-23, 21-17, 19-21 defeat.
Following the two losses, the Indian now occupies the fourth position in Group A, with Axelsen, Guang Zu, and Naraoka ahead of him. He will look to put his best foot forward against world champion Axelsen in his final match of the season.
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HS Prannoy vs Viktor Axelsen: Head-to-head & prediction
Axelsen leads Prannoy 5-1 in the head-to-head. The Dane won their first five encounters but Prannoy came out on top 14-21, 21-19, 21-16 in their most recent face-off at the 2021 Indonesia Masters.
Prannoy, ranked 12th in the world, has had the most consistent season of his career this year. A runner-up finish at the Swiss Open and a quarter-final appearance at the BWF World Championships were his biggest highlights. The 30-year-old also played a key role in bringing home India's first-ever Thomas Cup title.
However, Axelsen will present him with one of the stiffest challenges possible. The 28-year-old has thoroughly dominated the season, winning seven titles, including the All England Open and the World Championships.
At the ongoing BWF World Tour Finals, the defending champion breezed through his first couple of matches. After starting his campaign with a 21-13, 21-11 win over Guang Zu, Axelsen walloped Naraoka 21-5, 21-15.
It will be tough to stop the Danish juggernaut but being the giant killer that Prannoy is known to be, he will go all out for one last hurrah this season.
HS Prannoy vs Viktor Axelsen: Date and time
HS Prannoy will take on top seed Viktor Axelsen in his third and final round-robin match at the BWF World Tour Finals 2022 on Friday. The match will be the seventh of the day on Court 1.
Date: December 9, 2022
Time Approx. 3.45 pm local time; 2.15 pm IST
HS Prannoy vs Viktor Axelsen: Where to watch & live streaming details
The BWF World Tour Finals 2022 is being broadcast live in India on Sports18 1 and Sports18 1 HD channels from December 7. Matches can also be watched on Voot Select.
Live streaming is available on YouTube on BWF.TV in selected territories as well. Live scores can also be followed on the tournament software here.
