NEW DELHI: Indian badminton star HS Prannoy made a solid advancement into the second round of the World Championships in Copenhagen, securing a straight-game victory over Finland's Kalle Koljonen on Monday.
Ranked 9th globally, Prannoy, who had reached the quarterfinals in the last two editions, triumphed over the left-handed Koljonen with a scoreline of 24-22, 21-10. This victory extended Prannoy's winning record against the Finnish player to 3-0.
The initial game witnessed a closely contested showdown as Koljonen surged ahead to an 8-4 lead. However, Prannoy swiftly responded with seven consecutive points, enabling him to seize an 11-8 advantage at the mid-game interval.
After the break, the battle remained intense, culminating in Koljonen gaining three game points after saving one from Prannoy's forehand. Yet, a composed Prannoy managed to thwart all three game points, succumbing only once to a wide shot that favored his opponent.
At 22-21 in favor of Koljonen, the Finnish player faltered under pressure, hitting a long shot and losing a net exchange, consequently shifting the lead to Prannoy. With a powerful cross-court smash, Prannoy clinched the game.
The second game commenced evenly, with Prannoy maintaining a slight lead at 6-5 initially. However, the Indian athlete quickly extended his lead to six points at the interval with a direct smash.
Prannoy continued to dominate, utilising precise angles and deceptive shots that Koljonen struggled to counter. This led to Prannoy amassing a significant lead of 12 match points, even though Koljonen managed to save a couple of them.
In the end, Prannoy sealed the deal by capitalising on a straight smash, securing his spot in the next round.
(With PTI inputs)
