CHENNAI: HS Prannoy’s impressive run in the ongoing Indonesia Open came to an end on Saturday. The Indian had beaten three shuttlers ranked higher than him to reach the semifinal stage of the BWF Super 1000 event in Jakarta. Ironically, he went down against a shuttler, who was ranked lower than him, in the semis. Up against China’s Zhao Jun Peng (World No 35), Prannoy just couldn’t find his rhythm. The Indian eventually lost 16-21, 15-21.
Nevertheless, it was another strong show by the Indian (World No 3), who had played a crucial hand in India’s historic Thomas Cup success last month. Though far from his best on the day, Prannoy can walk away with his held high. He had beaten three formidable opponents in Lakshya Sen (World No 10), Ng Ka Long Angus (World No 12) and Rasmus Gemke (World No 13) prior to Saturday’s setback.
Meanwhile, the Badminton World Federation announced its 31-event World Tour calender for the year 2023 to 2026. Formerly a Super 500 event, the India Open has been upgraded to Super 750 level. That’s a big boost for Indian players as they’ll have a stronger chance to perform in familiar conditions and attain crucial ranking points and earn good prize money.