Fourth seed PV Sindhu will lock horns with World No. 27 Natsuki Nidaira on Thursday (July 6) for a place in the quarterfinals of the Canada Open 2023.
The two-time Olympic medalist got her campaign underway on Wednesday (July 5) with a commanding 21-16, 21-9 win over home hope Talia NG. Having suffered pre-quarterfinal defeats in her last three tournaments, Sindhu is eager to bounce back at the ongoing Super 500 event in Calgary and seems to have started on the right note.
The former world champion will now aim to make it to the last-eight stage of a tournament for just the fourth time in what has been an underwhelming season by her lofty standards.
PV Sindhu vs Natsuki Nidaira: Head-to-head and prediction
Sindhu has a 1-0 lead over Nidaira in their head-to-head. The World No. 15 emerged a 21-16, 21-12 winner in their only meeting so far at the 2016 China Masters.
Nidaira is a 24-year-old Japanese shuttler who won the World Junior Championships bronze in 2015. Her transition to the senior circuit hasn't gone according to expectations with the World No. 27 having a runner-up finish at the 2018 Swiss Open as her best performance on the BWF World Tour so far.
Nidaira's most notable displays of the 2023 season came at the Madrid Spain and the Orleans Masters, reaching the quarterfinals on both occasions.
At the Canada Open on Wednesday, she began her challenge with a 21-19, 21-13 win over World No. 73 Rachel Chan. Although the Japanese didn't have to exert much in the first round, PV Sindhu with her vast experience should be a different ballgame altogether.
Canada Open 2023, PV Sindhu vs Natsuki Nidaira: Date and time
Sindhu will square off against Natsuki Nidaira in the women's singles second round at the Canada Open 2023 on Thursday in the first match of the day on Court 1.
Date: July 6, 2023
Round: Second round (Round of 16)
Time: 12 noon local time; 11.30 pm IST
Venue: Markin-MacPhail Centre in Calgary, Canada
Canada Open 2023, PV Sindhu vs Natsuki Nidaira: Where to watch & live streaming details
The Canada 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.