Denmark Open 2017 Preview: Schedule for Kidambi Srikanth vs Wong Wing Ki Vincent semi-final clash

Wong Wing Ki Vincent (15) vs K. Srikanth(8)

India's only remaining hope in the Denmark Open 2017, Kidambi Srikanth, will aim to keep the tricolor flying high as he challenges Wong Ki Vincent of Hong Kong in the semi finals of the premier Badminton tournament. The Indian is ranked 8th in the BWF World Rankings and is also the 8th seed in this particular tournament. Srikanth's impressive rise in the world of Badminton has forced the entire circuit to take notice of his natural ability and classy stroke play.

Following the departures of Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu, all Indian hopes seem to be pinned exclusively on the shoulders of the young Srikanth, who pulled off an incredible feat in the quarter Finals by beating World Number One and Number Two seed Viktor Axelsen of Denmark. If beating the Dane in his own turf wasn't enough, Srikanth also showed great character by coming back from the dead and winning the showdown 14-21, 22-20, 21-7 with an absolute demolition in the final game. Up next for the feisty Hyderabadi? A semi final bout against Hong Kong's Wong Wing Ki Vincent.

The ace shuttler has been making his own commendable progress in the tournament. Now aged 27, his path to the semi final has included a hard fought first round victory over German Fabian Roth, finally winning 17-21, 21-10, 21-13 and that was followed by two fairly straightforward triumphs over Japan's Kazumasa Sakai and Taiwan's Chou Tien Chen.

While his World Ranking of 15 doesn't necessarily seem too high, his performances in recent times have been excellent and he could prove an able challenger to Srikanth's bid for a major singles title. Wong Wing Ki Vincent must definitely not be taken lightly.

Head-to-head: Wong Wing Ki Vincent is tied with K. Srikanth 2-2 on head-to-head record.

What makes this even more interesting is the fact that these two top shuttlers have played each other four times in the past and the honour of victory in this particular rivalry stands at a stalemate.The Indian cannot afford to take the challenge of Wong Wing Ki Vincent lightly as he has been beaten by him twice in the past.

The most recent clash between the two however took place earlier this year at the Indonesia Open in June 2017 where K Srikanth came out on top. The contest between these two certified stars of the Badminton circuit promises to be a mouth watering encounter worth watching.

Timings:

Wong Wing Ki Vincent vs Kidami Srikanth on Saturday, not before 6pm IST.

Live telecast on: Star Sports

Live Streaming: Hotstar.com