New Delhi: HS Prannoy came close to pulling off a major upset in the BWF World Championship against world no. 2 Denmark’s Anders Antonsen in the second round on Wednesday in Paris.
The Indian shuttler fought the battle for nearly an hour and 30 minutes before losing the match 8-21,21-17,21-23. Prannoy held two match points but couldn’t convert any of them and was ultimately knocked out of the Championship.
Prannoy expressed his regret for playing bad shots in the business end of the match.
“Played a few bad shots towards the end. I should have kept a little more energy and tried to be on the attacking side. In the last 3-4 points, I felt he was on the attack, and I gave him a few easy smashes that probably changed the game.
“I should have taken a few more chances at the net and played patiently,” Prannoy said after the loss against Antonsen.
Antonsen dominated the first game, but the 34-ranked player bounced back by winning the second game and forcing the match to go into the decisive third game.
Prannoy was carrying the momentum in the decider and also continued to put pressure on the world no. 2 shuttler, but his errors in the dying stages cost him the match.
The Kerala star highlighted the importance of the game after the loss as he knew that defeating Antonsen would’ve given him the confidence later in the tournament.
The Asian Games bronze-medallist and Thomas Cup 2022 winner has been battling with some serious health issues since the Paris Olympics, where he played after recovering from chikungunya. In the recent past, he has suffered from a chronic stomach disorder and a nagging back injury.
“I’ve been trying to constantly improve on that front. Game-wise I’m there, I can still play a couple of years more, but fitness-wise I’m not able to keep up with these youngsters. Prannoy stated on his fitness.
Prannoy, 33, wants to push his body to play couple of years before his body bows down, and also wishes to play one more BWF World Championship.