Dubai World Superseries Finals 2017: Schedule and preview of PV Sindhu and Srikanth Kidambi’s matches

PV Sindhu (WR #3) vs He Bingjiao (WR #9)

Head-to-head: Bingjiao leads 5-4

Last meeting: Sindhu beat Bingjiao, 21-10, 17-21, 21-16 at the 2017 Korea Open semi-finals

PV Sindhu seemed to have lost her way following her title-winning campaign at the Korea Open. She looked extremely fatigued, listless and quite unsure of her decision-making on the court.

Just when it looked like the 22-year-old was showing the effects of a burnout after a season that gave her three titles apart from the World Championships silver medal, she resurrected herself at the Hong Kong Open. There could not be a more perfect display than the one she put up against the reigning Denmark Open champion, Ratchanok Intanon in the semi-finals.

Sindhu did eventually lose the final to the World No. 1 Tai Tzu Ying in straight games but the tight scoreline very much established that she was on the right track. The Indian would surely be looking forward to building on that form.

Bingjiao is a player, who has troubled Sindhu in the past. The Pullela Gopichand protégé simply needs to stamp her authority right at the beginning and never relinquish her grip on the match.

They have split their two matches this year and both those matches went the distance. This would undoubtedly be a tough encounter for Sindhu but she can come through if she can repeat her Korea Open heroics.

Srikanth Kidambi (WR #4) vs Viktor Axelsen (WR #1)

Head-to-head: They are tied 3-3

Last meeting: Srikanth beat Axelsen, 14-21, 22-20, 21-7 at the 2017 Denmark Open quarter-finals

If there is any match that thoroughly demonstrates how Srikanth Kidambi plays when he feels confident, then it is the quarter-final that the India No. 1 played against Viktor Axelsen at the Denmark Open this year. Srikanth was not perturbed by the fact that he was facing the world champion in his own backyard. Nor did the fact that the Dane had beaten him in their last meeting in Japan, trouble him. Nor could Axelsen’s early lead demotivate him.

Srikanth only grew in confidence as the match wore on and held his nerves to sneak out the second game. By the end of the match, it the home favourite, who looked a rather pedestrian player before succumbing to a 21-14, 20-22, 7-21 defeat at the hands of the Indian.

That is the kind of fearless game the Guntur-born ace can produce when he is totally fit. Srikanth focussed on exactly that by skipping the China Open and the Hong Kong Open. He took a much-needed break to recover from a hamstring niggle and be in the best shape possible for the World Superseries Finals.

Defending champion Axelsen too has come to this tournament after a toe injury forced him to pull out of the Hong Kong Open. It will be pretty interesting to see how the two play when they square off in Dubai for the first time since that remarkable Denmark Open quarter-final clash.

This will be the match to watch on Day 1 of the 2017 World Superseries Finals and there’s every possibility that the winner of this one can top the group. So, there’s definitely extra motivation for both Srikanth and Axelsen when they face off.