India has not won a single medal in the Rio Olympics 2016 so far, and there is great pressure on the remaining two Indian shuttlers in the singles arena. After Saina Nehwal's disappointing exit, all eyes will be now on Kidmabi Srikanth and PV Sindhu, who will be seen in action during the pre-quarters on Monday.
Both the players have it in them to deliver, but they need to take their game to the next level as they face tough opponents. Srikanth faces Denmark's Jan O Jorgensen, while Sindhu has a huge match against Chinese Taipei's Tai Tzu Ying.
Srikanth has been one of top male shuttlers from India in the singles competition, and it is time for him to deliver in the grandest stage of all. The Indian has faced Jorgensen three times in his career, losing twice and winning once. All their head-to-head contests have been stretched to three sets.
The Guntur lad needs to keep his focus and come up with an excellent match to defeat Jorgensen. Srikanth can use his Indian Open 2013 win over the Dane as an inspiration to help him deliver in the pre-quarters. Jorgensen, who is one of the favourites for a medal in Rio, is a strong player, and loves to play an attacking game, hence the Indian should be strong on his defence and earn quick points when a chance comes by. Make no mistake, Srikanth also possesses a powerful smash.
Coming to the women's singles pre-quarters, Sindhu has always been a regular feature for India in major competitions. She has defeated some of the top players in the world including Li Xuerui and Tai Tzu.
Tai Tzu comes into the match confident after registering straight games victory over Natalia Perminova and Elisabeth Baldauf while Sindhu defeated Michelle Li and Laura Sarosi in the group stages.
Sindhu's head-to-head record against Tai Tzu reads 2-4 in favour of the Chinese Taipei girl, and the match has all the ingredients of a classic encounter. Both the players love to play an aggressive game, and on their day, they can defeat any top shuttler.
However, Sindhu's major drawback has been her inconsistency in the past. If she gets her A game going, one could witness the Indian booking her quarter-finals spot.
Where to watch live
KIdambi Srikanth vs Jan O Jorgensen match is scheduled for 5:30 p.m IST (1 p.m BST, 8 am ET) start. PV Sindhu vs Tai Tzu Ying will start at 2 a.m IST (9:30 p.m BST, 4:30 p.m ET)
India: TV: Star Sports 1/HD and 2/HD. Live Streaming: Starports.com and Hotstar.
UK and Ireland: TV: BBC. Live Streaming: BBCiPlayer.
USA: TV: NBC. Live Streaming: NBC Sports live extra, NBC Olympics
Chinese Taipei: TV : Chunghwa Telecom
Indonesia: TV: NEXMEDIA, SCTV
Middle East Countires TV: BeIN Sports. Live streaming: BeIN Sports Connect
Brazil: TV: SporTV, Globo, Fox Sports and ESPN.
Argentina: TV: ESPN and DirecTV. Live Streaming: ESPN Play Latin America.
Australia: TV: Channel 7, 7Two and 7Mate. Live Streaming: Channel 7 online.
