Japan Open: Indian shuttler Prannoy H.S. was promoted to the pre-quarterfinal round of the Japan Open. He was facing the competitor from Hong Kong, Ng ka Long Angus whose injury gave Prannoy a free pass to enter the event with ease.The unseeded Prannoy was narrowly leading the first game 11-10 when the world number 12 player from Hong Kong threw in the towel into the court which led to the stoppage of the game with immediate effect.
This sign in badminton is rarely used in matches when some urgency arises. In the match, Hong Kong's shuttler who was giving Prannoy a tough fight had to exit the court within seven minutes of their men's singles opener due to an injury in his right thigh.The world number 18 Indian will now take on the former world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore in the second round.
Prannoy needs to be more prepared against his new contender in the second round. Loh Kean Yew is former men's singles world champion. He recently lifted the 2021 BWF World Championships trophy and set a new record for the badminton legacy of Singapore.
Prannoy was seen in a good form at the BWF World Championships in Tokyo last week, stunning two-time world champion Kento Momota. In the round of 16 match, he beat compatriot and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Lakshya Sen. In the match, he showed the spirit of a true shuttler who had an urge to win the match and snatch the points even after losing the 1st set to Sen. However, his stellar run ended in the quarterfinals as he lost to China's Zhao Junpeng.
Later in the day, the women's doubles pair of Ashwini Bhat K and Shikha Gautam will take on the Korean combination of Baek Ha Na and Lee Yu Lim in their first-round clash.
