(Badminton News) HS Prannoy advanced to the second round of the men’s singles in the World Championships, securing a victory in straight games against Finland’s Kalle Koljonen on Monday.
The Indian athlete, ranked 9th globally, had previously reached the quarterfinals in the last two editions of the championships. In this encounter, he overcame the left-handed Koljonen with a scoreline of 24-22, 21-10, thus enhancing his head-to-head record against the Finnish competitor to 3-0.
The initial game was a closely contested affair, with Koljonen quickly gaining an 8-4 advantage. However, Prannoy countered by securing seven consecutive points, leading 11-8 by the mid-game interval.
The resumption of play brought about an engaging battle, culminating in Koljonen obtaining three game points after effectively deflecting a shot from his opponent’s forehand. Demonstrating composure, HS skillfully fended off all three of these game points, only to make an unfortunate wide shot, inadvertently ceding the advantage back to his adversary.
A backhand block executed at the net proved instrumental in Prannoy’s efforts to rescue yet another game point. However, his subsequent shot found the net, allowing the score to stand at 22-21 in favor of Koljonen.
Nevertheless, Koljonen was unable to capitalize on this advantage as he hit the shuttle too long and subsequently lost a net duel, inadvertently granting the lead to the Indian player. Prannoy made the most of this opportunity, securing the lead through a powerful cross-court smash.
The commencement of the second game mirrored a balanced contest, with Prannoy slightly edging ahead at 6-5 initially. However, the Indian athlete swiftly extended his lead to six points by the interval, courtesy of a forceful straight smash.
Continuing his dominance, Prannoy maintained his lead, proving difficult for Koljonen to counter due to the intricate angles and deceptive shots employed by the Indian player. Consequently, Prannoy amassed a remarkable 12 match points, with Koljonen’s wide shot contributing to the growing tally. While Prannoy missed one match point at the net and Koljonen managed to save another, the Indian player ultimately sealed his victory with a straightforward smash, firmly shutting the door on his opponent.
