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Eighth seed HS Prannoy will kickstart his Japan Open 2023 campaign with a blockbuster first-round match against All England Open champion Li Shi Feng on Tuesday, July 25.
The 10th-ranked Indian has come to Tokyo on the back of a second-round exit from the Korea Open last week. Prannoy fought for one hour and six minutes before biting the dust against World No. 18 Lee Cheuk Yiu 15-21, 21-19, 18-21 in the Round of 16.
He will be eager to push aside that setback and focus on making a deep run at the upcoming Super 750 tournament.
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Japan Open 2023, HS Prannoy vs Li Shi Feng: Head-to-head and Prediction
HS Prannoy has a 2-0 record against Li Shi Feng in their head-to-head. Interestingly, both their face-offs so far have gone the distance, with Prannoy coming back from a game down to emerge victorious each time.
While their first-ever showdown saw the Keralite winning 18-21, 22-20, 21-13 at the Syed Modi International in 2019, HS Prannoy edged the Chinese 13-21, 21-16, 21-11 at the Malaysia Masters earlier this year.
Having defeated the World No. 5 once already this season on his way to the Malaysia Masters title, Prannoy will be confident heading into this clash. However, the Indian cannot afford to relax as Li Shi Feng seems to have found his range after struggling for a few tournaments.
The 23-year-old won the US Open just a couple of weeks ago and also made it to the final of the Canada Open the week before. He will be keen to draw inspiration from those performances and make a thunderous start to his Japan Open challenge.
With Li Shi Feng back in form, another sizzling three-game thriller could be on the cards when he squares off against Prannoy on Tuesday.
Read: Japan Open 2023: Preview, schedule, where to watch & live streaming details in India
Japan Open 2023, HS Prannoy vs Li Shi Feng: Date and time
Eighth seed Prannoy will square off against Li Shi Feng in the men's singles first round at the Japan Open 2023 on Tuesday in the seventh match of the day on Court 1.
Date: July 25, 2023
Round: First round (Round of 32)
Time: Approx. 2.15 pm local time; 10.45 am IST
Venue: Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan
Japan Open 2023, HS Prannoy vs Li Shi Feng: Where to watch & live streaming details
This Japan Open match won't be telecast live on any channel in India. It can, however, be live streamed on YouTube on BWF.TV. Live scores can also be followed on the tournament software.
