HS Prannoy beat Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen 14-21, 21-17, 21-18 in a BWF World Tour Finals match in Bangkok on Friday. That is Prannoy’s second win over Axelsen.
Within the opening recreation, Axelsen raced to an 11-7 lead on the interval. Prannoy bounced again with seven factors, however the Dane shuttler upped his ante and cruised to take the sport 21-14 with an angled crosscourt stroke.
Starting the second recreation, Prannoy confirmed indicators of a struggle again, even smashing proper into Axelsen’s nostril to present him a quick scare. However that didn’t rattle the world no. 1 as Axelsen shortly gained a 6-4 lead.
Thereafter, Prannoy engaged Axelsen in rallies and internet play to squeeze the hole to 8-10 and earned 5 consecutive factors to take a 16-12 lead after the interval with smashes and edge-of-the-court strokes. The Indian, nonetheless, dropped the primary recreation level probability at 20-15 whereas making an attempt to play a crosscourt smash. He then shortly levelled the scoreline taking the sport 21-16, with Axelsen hitting the web and sending the shuttle vast.
Prannoy was already out of the semifinal rivalry after dropping his first two matches. In distinction, the reigning Olympic champion Axelsen beat Kodai Naraoka and Lu Guang Zu in straight video games to seal his place within the final 4.
Earlier, Prannoy misplaced to Kodai Naraoka of Japan and Lu Guang Zu of China in successive matches. In each matches, the Indian shuttler misplaced after enjoying a three-game contest.
Prannoy was the lone Indian participant competing on the 2022 season-ending BWF World Tour Finals – the place solely the highest 8 gamers/pairs of the yr participate.
The world No 12 was in Group A together with Olympic and world champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark, Japan’s Kodai Naraoka (world No 14) and China’s Lu Guang Zu (world No 17). The highest 2 from every group qualify and Prannoy is seeded third, behind solely the Danish world No 1 within the rankings. Chou Tien Chen, Jonatan Christie, Anthony Ginting, and Loh Kean Yew are the 4 gamers within the different group.
Prannoy has loved a rewarding 2022, breaking into the Prime 15 for the primary time in 4 years. This was the primary time he has certified for the year-end competitors.
