Indian badminton star HS Prannoy produced an incredible comeback in the opening round of the China Open Super 1000 tournament, saving five match points to defeat Japan’s Koki Watanabe in a thrilling three-game encounter.
🏸 Prannoy’s Grit Shines Through
The World No. 35 Prannoy lost the opening game 8-21 and trailed significantly in the decider. At one point, he was down 2-11 and later faced five match points at 15-20. But the veteran shuttler showed tremendous composure under pressure, winning eight of the last nine points to clinch the match 8-21, 21-16, 23-21.
“At this stage of my career, every win matters. The competition is intense with so many young players on tour. It’s a challenge to stay ahead,” Prannoy said after the match.
😔 Lakshya Sen’s Struggles Continue
It was another tough outing for Lakshya Sen, who crashed out after a hard-fought three-game battle against China's Li Shi Feng, the tournament’s 5th seed. Sen won the first game comfortably 21-14, but couldn’t maintain momentum and eventually lost 21-14, 22-24, 11-21.
🚺 Other Indian Results
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In women’s singles, youngster Anupama Upadhyay exited in the first round after a 23-21, 11-21, 10-21 loss to Chinese Taipei’s Lin Hsiang Ti.
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In mixed doubles, both Indian pairs — A Surya/A Pramuthesh and Rohan Kapoor/Ruthvika Gadde — bowed out after first-round defeats.
📌 Summary:
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✅ HS Prannoy wins after saving 5 match points
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❌ Lakshya Sen, Anupama Upadhyay, and Indian mixed doubles teams eliminated
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🇮🇳 India’s singles hopes now largely rest on Prannoy’s form going forward
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