Match: Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk v Brice Leverdez
Date: 22 October, Saturday
Time: 6pm SGT/3:30pm IST/11am BST
Competition: Denmark Open 2016
Venue: Odense Sports Park
TV Coverage: There is no tv coverage of the 2016 Denmark Open semi-final in Singapore.
Live Streaming: BWF official YouTube channel
Overview
Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk will take on Brice Leverdez in the semi-final of the 2016 Denmark Open at the Odense Sports Park on 22 October.
While Saensomboonsuk is the higher-ranked shuttler in the first semi-final on Saturday, Leverdez will be high on confidence after outclassing Lee Chong Wei in the quarter-final on Friday.
The Frenchman, who had suffered first-round exits in all the tournaments he had participated in 2016, has been in inspiring form in the ongoing tournament. After edging past fifth-seeded Taiwanese shuttler Tien Chen Chou in the second round, the 30-year-old registered his first win in seven meetings over the Malaysian legend.
Leverdez dealt the first blow on Friday by taking the first game 21-17 against the world number one. However, Chong Wei fended off a stiff challenge from his unseeded opponent to clinch the second by a narrow two-point margin. The decider saw yet another close battle in which the French shuttler went on stun the top seed, who failed to save a fourth match point in the game.
With Chong Wei's defeat Son Wan Ho is the only seeded shuttler remaining the in the Men's singles event. Leverdez has proved to be a giant slayer taking out two top seeds from the tournament.
After spoiling Chong Wei's hopes of clinching a 45th Superseries title this year in Denmark, Leverdez revealed he was disappointed to give away the second game to the Malaysian.
"I was disappointed to lose the second game. I am a bit surprised I won the third game as he's very fit...but he made some mistakes and I capitalised on those. He was rushing to get points and I was patient and took my chances," Leverdez was quoted as saying by BWF World Superseries official website.
On Saturday, Leverdez will face a tricky Thai test. Saensomboonsuk has shown potential but has been a bit inconsistent in the ongoing season. The 26-year-old, who reached the quarter-final of the 2015 Singapore Open, has bettered his Superseries record with a last-four appearance in Denmark.
Saensomboonsuk overcame a stiff challenge from local shuttler Andres Antonsen 21-17, 14-21, 21-15 in the quarter-final on Friday. His biggest win of the tournament came when he crushed fourth seed Tian Houwei in straight games in their second-round clash.
Having the experience of edging out big-match players in the ongoing tournament, both Saensomboonsuk and Leverdez will be eager to go one step further in Denmark. Yet another close battle is on the cards in the semi-final.
TV Coverage
India: Star Sports 3
