Australian Open 2023: HS Prannoy defeats Priyanshu Rajawat to reach men's singles final

Published at :August 5, 2023 at 10:09 PM

Modified at :January 13, 2024 at 5:02 PM

(Courtesy : News9live)

The WR-9 ranked Indian will face China’s Weng Hong Yang in the summit clash.

India’s top-ranked singles shuttler HS Prannoy defeated compatriot Priyanshu Rajawat in straight games to enter the Australian Open 2023 men’s singles final in Sydney on Saturday. Prannoy, WR-9, beat Rajawat, who is ranked 31 in singles, 21-18, 21-12 to make his second final in the BWF World Tour season this year. He had won the Malaysia Masters title, his maiden BWF World Tour title, earlier this May.

Pranoy will face China’s Weng Hong Yang, who he defeated in the Malaysia Masters final, in the summit clash on Sunday.

The all-Indian semi-final clash began with a promising start from both players. Prannoy was in the lead at the mid game interval of the first game by 11-8, but Rajawat made a huge comeback to level the score at 18-18, but with some quick points Prannoy was able to take the first game by 21-18.

In the second game, Prannoy made a good start with a 7-3 lead which was later levelled by Rajawat to 7-7 but Prannoy again took the lead of 11-7 in the mid game interval of the second game. Rajawat, after the mid game interval, made a small comeback by narrowing the lead to two points and bringing it to 11-13, but it wasn’t enough as Prannoy with his hard smashes and great defence took eight straight points to race ahead to 19-11 and eventually won the match in straight games (21-18 21-12).

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It is his second win in the last two matches against Rajawat. Prannoy will now meet Weng Hong Yang of China in the men’s singles final. It will be a repeat of Malaysia Masters final, which Prannoy won in three games.

It hasn’t been an easy tournament for Prannoy. The last three matches he played before this went into decider and lasted more than one hour. In round 1, he defeated Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong 21-18, 16-21, 21-16 in an hour and six minutes. Later in round 2, he beat Taipei youngster Chi Yu Jen in a match lasting one hour and fourteen minutes (19-21, 21-19, 21-13).

Then in quarter-finals, Prannoy defeated World No. 2 and Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia to reach the semi-finals. With the all-important Badminton World Championships next, Prannoy’s recent form is promising and can win him a medal.

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