World number eight Kidambi Srikanth will take on unseeded Lee Hyun il of South Korea in the Men's singles final of Denmark Superseries Premier 2017 in Odense on Sunday, October 22.
The Indian shuttler reached his fourth Superseries final of the ongoing season by decimating Wong Wing Ki on Hong Kong 21-18, 21-17 in just 39 minutes in their semi-final encounter on Saturday.
Srikanth confident after clearing quarter-final hurdle
Srikanth had been in fine form early in the season, finishing as runner-up at Singapore Open. He then went on to win back-to-back Superseries titles in Indonesia and Australia and was one of the favourites at World Championships in Glagow. However, the 24-year-old failed to go past the quarter-final stage at the world meet and his run at Japan Open last month ended in the last-eight stage as well after defeat to Viktor Axelsen.
Srikanth though avenged his loss to Axelsen by stunning the reigning world champion 14-21, 22-20, 21-7 in the quarter-final of the ongoing tournament. The four-time Superseries champion displayed grit and determination as he came back from behind to crush the local favourite in the decider of his 55-minute encounter.
Srikanth expressed relief after crossing the quarter-final hurdle and his confidence was evident on the court during his semi-final match on Saturday. The Indian shuttler heads into the final as the firm favourite.
Good straight sets win today and very happy with my performance. Excited to get back on court tomorrow. #denmarkopen #believe #achieve pic.twitter.com/U7CdxnTg0v
— Kidambi Srikanth (@srikidambi) October 21, 2017
Dangerous Lee
However, Lee, the 37-year-old veteran, will be high on confidence as well after stunning world number two Son Wan Ho in his semi-final outing on Saturday. In what was a marathon 1-hour and 32-minute encounter Hyun displayed remarkable stamina to edge past his younger compatriot 25-23, 18-21, 21-17.
Lee was impeccable with his control and never let his opponent run away with the match even after losing the second set.
The South Korean has not faced Srikanth ever before and he can be dangerous with his precise game. However, he has to be wary of his opponent, who has been showcasing exceptional attack and defensive abilities in the recent past.
When does the match start and how to watch it live
The Men's singles final between Srikanth and Lee will not start before 7:30pm IST, 4pm local time.
Live streaming and TV coverage
India: TV: Star Sports 2. Live streaming: Hotstar
Malaysia: TV: Astro Supersport. Live streaming: Astro Go
Singapore: TV: Star Hub. Live streaming: Starhub Go
China: TV: CCTV 5+
Worldwide live streaming: BWF YouTube channel [Not available in India]
Live scores can be followed on BWF's official website.
