mid-day.com looks at World No. 9 Indian shuttler’s performance against the world’s Top 3 players after he clinched a bronze at the BWF World Championships
India’s HS Prannoy during his semi-finals against Kunlavut Vitidsarn in Copenhagen on Saturday. PIC/AFP
India shuttler HS Prannoy's dream run at the BWF World Championships ended as he lost 21-18, 13-21, 14-21 to Thailand’s World No. 3 Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the semi-final to sign off with a bronze medal at Copenhagen, Denmark, on Saturday.
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However, the win extended India's record of having at least one medallist in the tournament since 2011. While Prannoy, ranked World No. 9, did not clinch the coveted gold, he became only the fifth Indian men's singles player to win a World Championships medal. Kidambi Srikanth (silver), Lakshya Sen (bronze), B Sai Praneeth (bronze) and Prakash Padukone (bronze) are the other medallists.
A day after Prannoy won his maiden World Championships bronze in Denmark, mid-day.com takes a look at his head-to-head record with the Top 3 shuttlers in the world.
Against World No. 1 Viktor Axelsen: 3-7
Viktor Axelsen of Denmark is dejected during his quarter-final against HS Prannoy in Copenhagen. PIC/AFP
His recent triumph over the Danish player came in the quarter-finals of the BWF World Championships. Prannoy defeated defending champion Axelsen 13-21, 21-15, 21-16.
Last year, Prannoy, India’s highest ranked player in men’s singles, had beaten the Dane in the third round of the BWF World Tour finals 14-21, 21-17, 21-18. In the Round of 16 at the Indonesia Masters in 2021, Prannoy got the better of Axelsen 14-21, 21-19, 21-16. Meanwhile, the clashes Axelsen has beaten the Indian are— quarter-finals of this year’s Japan Open (19-21, 21-18, 21-8), semi-finals of Indonesia Open 2023 (21-15, 21-15), India Open 2019 quarters (21-10, 21-16), Round of 16 at Japan Open 2019 (21-16, 21-19), the same stage at the BWF World Championships 2015 (21-16, 19-21, 21-18), India Open quarter-finals 2015 (16-21, 21-9, 21-18) and the Round of 32 at the China Open in 2014 (21-10, 19-21, 21-18).
Against Indonesia’s World No. 2 Anthony Sinisuka Ginting: 3-2
Indonesia’s Anthony Sinisuka Ginting. Pic/Getty Images
Prannoy has defeated the Indonesian thrice—in the quarter-final of this year’s Australian Open 16-21, 21-17, 21-14, Swiss Open 2022 semi-finals (21-19, 19-21, 21-18) and the Indonesia Open in 2017 (21-13, 21-18). Meanwhile, the Indian faced defeat — 20-22, 21-15, 17-21 — at this year’s All England’s Round of 16, and at the same stage of the Japan Open 2018 (14-21, 17-21). Ginting pulled out of the recently-concluded World Championships as he lost his mother, Lucia Sriati on August 9.
Against Thailand’s World No. 3 Kunlavut Vitidsarn: 0-2
Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn during his semi-final against India's HS Prannoy at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Saturday. PIC/AP,PTI
Prannoy has not managed to win against the Thai shuttler Vitidsarn in two meetings in the past two years. His recent defeat being in the semi-finals at Copenhagen. Prannoy was unable to capitalise on the first game win and the 5-1 lead in the second as Vitidsarn was better in defence and attack, which resulted in him coming back from a game down to win 18-21, 21-13, 21-14. Earlier, in the Round of 32 at the 2022 All England Championships, he went down 15-21, 22-24.
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