'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Match details
Fixture: (8) Kidambi Srikanth vs Brice Leverdez
Tournament: GR Toyota Gazoo Racing Thailand Open 2022
Date: May 18, 2022
Round: First round (Round of 32)
Venue: Bangkok, Thailand
Category: HSBC BWF World Tour Super 500
Match timing: 9 am local time, 7.30 am IST
Prize money: $350,000
Live streaming: BWF TV
Kidambi Srikanth vs Brice Leverdez preview
Eighth seed and 2013 champion Kidambi Srikanth will begin his quest for his second Thailand Open title on Wednesday, May 18, against World No. 39 Brice Leverdez of France.
Trending
The 11th-ranked Indian is coming off a historic Thomas Cup campaign, where he led his nation to their first-ever title at the prestigious team championship. Srikanth was invincible throughout the tournament, recording wins in each of his six matches.
After victories over Kai Schaefer, Brian Yang and Wang Tzu Wei in the round robin stages, the India No. 2 went on to beat NG Tze Yong, Anders Antonsen and Jonatan Christie in the elimination rounds to guide India to the highly coveted title.
In the final, it was the former World No. 1 who brought home the winning points for India.
With so much momentum behind him, the BWF World Championships silver medalist will be eager to make a strong impression at the Thailand Open being held at the same venue.
Brice Leverdez, meanwhile, has been a veteran on the BWF World Tour. The 36-year-old has a silver medal from the 2019 European Games and a bronze medal from the 2018 European Championships, among other achievements, on his resume.
The Frenchman hasn't had a season to remember so far, having managed just a couple of wins.
After first-round exits at the German Open and the All England Open, he made it to the quarterfinals of the European Championships, his last tournament before the Thailand Open.
Kidambi Srikanth vs Brice Leverdez head-to-head
Srikanth has a flawless 4-0 record in his head-to-head against Leverdez. Their most recent meeting came earlier this year at the German Open, where the Indian needed three games to pull off a 21-10, 13-21, 21-7 win.
Kidambi Srikanth vs Brice Leverdez prediction
Although Leverdez managed to end his losing streak this year at his most recent tournament, he still faces an uphill battle against a player he has never beaten before.
The fact that Srikanth is coming into this tournament on the back of a mind-blowing performance at the Thomas Cup, makes Leverdez's job even tougher.
That said, fatigue might creep in for the Indian after last week's heroics, rendering Srikanth a slow start. However, he has been pretty sharp of late and should have the confidence to storm back even if he falls behind early.
Prediction: Kidambi Srikanth to win in straight games.
