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For B Sai Praneeth, practice yesterday was very different from training today. Until yesterday, Sai Praneeth did not know who his opponents could be for the Tokyo Olympics. But after Thursday’s draw, he has found out who his initial rivals will be in Tokyo.
World No. 15 Sai Praneeth has been drawn into Group D alongside World No. 29 Mark Caljouw of Netherlands and World No. 47 Misha Zilberman of Israel.
Sai Praneeth has never played against Dutch shuttler Mark Caljouw on the international circuit. Mark Caljouw is a good player and recently reached the semifinals of the All England Open Championships in March 2021.
The Dutch player had shocked India’s Lakshya Sen in three games to reach the semifinals. Caljouw beat Lakshya Sen 21-17, 16-21, 21-17 in the quarters in a match which lasted for 55 minutes.
However in the semis, sixth seed Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia halted the dream run of Mark Caljouw 21-13, 21-17 in the same competition.
Sai Praneeth has a 3-0 head-to-head record against his group opponent Misha Zilberman
Against Misha Zilberman, Sai Praneeth has a perfect 3-0 head-to-head record. He is expected to beat both his league opponents and top Group D.
However, Sai Praneeth is not taking his opponents lightly and is aiming to give his best in the tournament. This is what he said in an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda
“Draw is good but I cannot take my opponents lightly. It’s not too easy, as in the Olympics everyone will be fit and I have to be 100 % ready to win the matches,” said Sai Praneeth after Friday’s practice session.
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