Eighth seed HS Prannoy will take on rising star Priyanshu Rajawat in an all-Indian second-round clash at the India Open 2024 in New Delhi on Thursday (January 18).
Prannoy is coming into this oontest on the back of a 21-6, 21-19 win over the World No. 13 Chou Tien Chen in the first round. Rajawat, on the other hand, began his campaign at this Super 750 event with a statement 16-21, 21-16, 21-13 win over former champion Lakshya Sen.
India Open 2024: HS Prannoy vs Priyanshu Rajawat: Head-to-head and Prediction
HS Prannoy has a flawless 2-0 record against his younger compatriot Priyanshu Rajawat in their head-to-head. Prannoy first beat Rajawat in three games at the Syed Modi International in 2022 before dismissing him 21-18, 21-12 in their most recent clash at the Australian Open in 2023.
Prannoy is the overwhelming favorite to come through this showdown given his experience and ranking. The World No. 9 had his career-best season last year that saw him win the Malaysia Masters title and finish runner-up at the Australian Open. He also collected bronze medals from the BWF World Championships and the Asian Games.
Although Prannoy fell in his first match of the new season to eventual champion Anders Antonsen at the Malaysia Open last week, he will be keen to bounce back and make a deep run on home soil.
That said, he can't take Rajawat lightly. The 21-year-old demonstrated tremendous resolve and fighting spirit to come back from a game down and beat Lakshya Sen in the first round. He also showed his immense talent to clinch the Super 300 Orleans Masters title last year.
The World No. 30 has been making rapid strides and has the ability to vary his game plan according to the match. His stamina, too, has improved over the course of the last couple of years and he doesn't hesitate in engaging his opponents in long rallies to eke out errors. The young star will certainly look to employ the same tactic to break up Prannoy's attacking game.
However, if the older Indian can play with controlled aggression and keep his unforced errors in check, he should be able to book his place in the quarterfinals.
India Open 2024: HS Prannoy vs Priyanshu Rajawat: Date and time
HS Prannoy and Priyanshu Rajawat will face off in the men's singles second round of the India Open 2024 on Thursday in the ninth match of the day on Court 2 at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall.
Date: January 18, 2024
Round: Second round (Round of 16)
Time: Approx. 4.30 pm IST
Venue: KD Jadhav Indoor Hall, New Delhi, India
India Open 2024: HS Prannoy vs Priyanshu Rajawat: Where to watch & live streaming details
This India Open 2024 match will be telecast live in India on the Eurosport India channel. It will be live streamed on Jio Cinema as well as on YouTube on BWF.TV.
Live scores can also be followed on the tournament software.