Fuzhou China Open 2019, Parupalli Kashyap vs Viktor Axelsen: Where to watch, TV schedule, live stream details, prediction and more

By Shruti Sinha

Modified Nov 07, 2019 16:52 IST

Having lost precious time on court the last couple of years due to intermittent injuries, former Commonwealth Games champion Parupalli Kashyap is now making amends.

There seems to be a spirit and zeal on display that had gone missing earlier. It's not just that he is winning more matches now, but also the fact that he is enjoying himself on the court after a very long time.

A resurgent Kashyap made it to the semi-finals of the India Open in March and then carried his good form to the Super 100 Canada Open, where he lost a marathon three-game final to China's Li Shifeng.

The 33-year-old then continued his brilliant run at the Super 500 Korea Open where he reached the semi-finals before bowing out to Kento Momota. The consistent good results have pushed the former World No. 6 back into the top 25.

What is interesting to note is how quickly he is learning from his mistakes and making amends. At the Denmark Open, he failed to pose a threat to the 21st ranked Sitthikom Thammasin. But he reversed the result less than a month later at the Fuzhou China Open this week, notching up a breezy 21-14, 21-13 win over the Thai.

That has set him up for a second-round meeting with the former World No. 1 Viktor Axelsen. No matter how formidable the name of Axelsen sounds, the Dane himself is making his way back from injury and is yet to find his best form.

That is where Kashyap's experience of having played the Rio Olympic bronze medallist in March this year could come in handy. The Dane is the favourite to come through this battle but the Indian definitely has the potential to stretch the match.