Daijiworld Media Network - Singapore
Singapore, May 27: Indian shuttler HS Prannoy produced a sensational comeback to defeat World No. 5 Jonatan Christie in the opening round of the Singapore Open on Wednesday.
Playing at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, Prannoy overcame the Indonesian star 10-21, 21-12, 21-18 in a gripping 61-minute men’s singles clash.
Despite entering the contest with a 3-7 head-to-head disadvantage against Christie, the former World No. 6 bounced back strongly after losing the opening game. From a tied score early in the second game, Prannoy took complete control and comfortably levelled the match with an emphatic 21-12 win.
The deciding game turned into a tense battle, with Christie initially holding a slight edge. However, Prannoy displayed remarkable composure in the closing stages, overturning a 16-18 deficit by winning five consecutive points to seal the upset victory.
The Indian will now face Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew in the Round of 16 after the home favourite defeated Kidambi Srikanth 22-20, 19-21, 21-17.
In mixed doubles, the Indian duo of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto advanced to the next round with a hard-fought 21-14, 20-22, 21-13 victory over Malaysia’s Wong Tien Ci and Lim Chiew Sien.
After taking the opening game, the Indian pair lost a closely contested second game before dominating the decider to close out the match in 58 minutes.
Meanwhile, Malvika Bansod exited the women’s singles competition after going down to Lin Hsiang Ti 21-11, 19-21, 12-21 despite winning the first game.
Earlier in the tournament, Indian stars PV Sindhu and the men’s doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty began their campaigns on a winning note.
Sindhu, champion of the 2022 edition, defeated Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani 21-17, 21-18 in straight games to enter the pre-quarterfinals, where she will next face Japan’s Riko Gunji.
In men’s doubles, World No. 4 pair Satwik and Chirag recovered after dropping a marathon opening game to beat Chen Zhi Yi and Presley Smith 26-28, 21-15, 21-13 in a contest lasting one hour and 15 minutes. They will next take on Chinese Taipei’s Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan.
India’s Ayush Shetty also started strongly in men’s singles against Victor Lai by winning the first game 21-11, but failed to maintain momentum and eventually lost 14-21, 12-21 in the next two games.