HS Prannoy in action. (File Photo)
HS Prannoy started with a bang as the Indian shuttler advanced to the second round of the men's singles in the Malaysia Open on Tuesday.
Prannoy, who reached the semifinals of the Indonesia Open Super 1000 produced a stellar show as he defeated Daren Liew 21-14, 17-21, 21-18 in a match that lasted a little more than an hour.
After B Sai Praneeth and Sameer Verma crashed out in the second round, Prannoy brought smiles back in the Indian camp by overcoming a stiff challenge from the local favourite. The 29-year-old Kerala shuttler will face fourth seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei.
Prannoy was slow off the mark but opened up a healthy 11-7 lead at the break. His strokes penetrated the defence of his opponent, who looked a little passive as Prannoy was rewarded for his alertness and better control in the rallies.
The Indian kept putting the shuttles in the right areas and with Liew making some uncharacteristic errors meant Prannoy's lead was not threatened.
In the end, it was another return at the baseline which gave Prannoy the bragging rights.
After the change of sides, Liew took a 7-4 advantage with Prannoy going to the nets repeatedly. The Indian soon turned the tide with his smashes on his rival's forehand.
After the break, Prannoy tried to play at a good pace but a series of unforced errors, mainly at the net, handed four game points to Liew and he sealed it with a smash.
In the decider, Prannoy moved up 6-3 but Liew again clawed his way back with three points, including an excruciating rally which left Prannoy flat on the ground.
The duo played with an electrifying pace and Prannoy managed to eke out a three-point cushion at the interval.
The second half of the decider was a roller-coaster ride as Liew kept breathing down Prannoy's neck but the Indian ensured he had the last laugh, sealing the contest with another powerful smash which Liew sent wide.
Earlier, Praneeth went down to world number six Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia, while Sameer lost to world number 8 Jonatan Christie.
In doubles, the women's pairing of Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy also bowed out of the tournament after losing 15-21 11-21 to the Japanese duo of Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida, seeded sixth.
(Inputs PTI)
