It was smooth sailing for Kidambi Srikanth in the first round of the Syed Modi International Championships 2019, as the boy hailing from Guntur faced no trouble in overcoming the challenge of Russian qualifier Vladimir Malkov in a very comprehensive win, where Srikanth dominated from the start of the match.
It was all an affair of 36 minutes, with Srikanth winning 21-12, 21-11. With this victory, the 26-year-old sailed into the second round of the tournament, and booked a date with fellow Indian shuttler Parupalli Kashyap.
The former World No.1 has not had a good 2019 and his best performance had been at the Indian Open, which was held all the way back in March, where Srikanth finished as the runner-up to Viktor Axelsen. Peppered with injuries throughout, 2019 has not been kind to him. With lacklustre performances in most of the recent tournaments, Srikanth is struggling to get his form back up and end the year on a high.
Parupalli Kashyap, on the other hand, got a walkover against his French opponent Lucas Corvee and naturally entered the second round. Surprisingly enough, the duo of Kashyap and Srikanth have no met on the court much and the second-round match here will be their fourth career meeting. Kashyap happens to lead the head-to-head between the two 2-1.
With two top Indian players clashing as early as the second round of a tournament, we can expect some exciting action. Kashyap has given consistent performances throughout the year, and will give Kidambi a stiff fight, making the match all the more exciting.
Here is all you need to know about the Syed Modi Badminton Championship 2019 Schedule
Tournament: Syed Modi International Badminton Championships 2019
Category: Super 300
Prize Money: US$150,000
Venue: Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium, Lucknow, India
Dates: November 24 - December 1, 2019
Time: Kidambi Srikanth [3] v Parupalli Kashyap at approx. 12:40 P.M IST
Where to watch the matches in India?
The Syed Modi Badminton matches will be telecast live on Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 HD from the semifinal round.
Live Stream Details and Info for the matches
Live Stream will be available on Hotstar.com.