Match: Chen Long v Ajay Jayaram
Date: 18 November, Friday
Time: 10am SGT/7:30am IST/2am GMT (onwards)
Venue: Haixia Olympic Sport Center, Fuzhou
Competition: China Open Superseries, quarter-final
TV Coverage: In SIngapore there is no TV coverage of China Open.
Live Streaming: BWF official YouTube channel, Hotstar.
Overview
Chen Long takes on Ajay Jayaram in the Men's singles quarter-final of the 2016 China Open in Fuzhou on 18 November.
The Rio Olympic gold medallist, in his first tournament since the Games in August, has not had the need to spend a lot of time on the court. In the opening round, his Indonesian opponent Tommy Sugiarto retired due to injury midway during the first game, which Chen was leading 17-5.
On Thursday, Chen came up against his in-form compatriot Shi Yuqi, who won the French Open Superseries last month and followed it up with a title in the Bitburger Open earlier this month. However, Chen looked untroubled against his ninth-ranked opponent as he took the match with a 21-16, 21-13 win.
Chen would want to enjoy his return to the court with a title at home. The absence of world number one Lee Chong Wei and his compatriot Lin Dan in the ongoing tournament, gives the world number two a lot of reasons to cheer.
Also read: Weibo user exposes Lin Dan with intimate photos of affair with model Zhao Yaqi
Standing in his way is his familiar foe Jayaram, who has never been able to taste success against the Chinese shuttler. In the four times they have met in the past, Chen has emerged victorious, which includes wins at 2015 China and Hong Kong Open.
Jayaram has fought hard so far in the ongoing tournament and his matches have been stretched to three games by his opponents in his previous two rounds. The Indian shuttler needs to be prepared mentally and physically amidst his tiring routine to stand a chance against the top-ranked Chinese shuttler.
Chen would not mind facing a lower-ranked opponent on Friday before he faces sterner tests in the upcoming final rounds.
TV Schedule
India: Star Sports 4
