[Watch] HS Prannoy saves two match points, seals encounter with a searing smash to enter Asian Games 2023 semi-finals

Haseena Sunilkumar Prannoy entered the semi-final of men’s badminton singles of the Asian Games 2023 in the most thrilling fashion on Thursday, October 5, in Hangzhou, China.

On a day when India’s hopes for a badminton singles medal was dashed after two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu’s exit, Prannoy lifted the morale with resilience and fortitude.

The World No.7 defeated Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia 16-21, 23-21, 22-20 in an intense match of badminton where the Indian shuttler was catching up for the most time, enduring a recent back injury which forced him out of the men’s team gold medal game.

HS Prannoy went down in the first game by 16-21 before rallying past Lee to win the deuce and advantage points to level the scores at 1-1. The World Championship bronze medallist led the decider at 13-11 at one stage before he conceded the Malaysian simple points with unforced errors.

HS Prannoy's lion-hearted efforts assure India's second medal in Badminton

HS Prannoy asked for a medal break after showing signs of pain when the game was locked at 16-16. After being attended by the medical staff, an agonised Prannoy returned to the court only to drop two points with the Malaysian accounting for five points in a row to regain the lead.

Though Prannoy managed to pick two points to level at 18-18, but couldn’t respond to the thumping smashes from Lee and was on the brink of elimination from the Asian Games. However, Prannoy, well known for his fighting spirit, blazed past his opponent to deny him the match point twice and sealed the game with four points in a row.

Prannoy was happy with his phenomenal comeback. After sealing the winner, he went down on the court with both his hands covering his face. It took him a few seconds to comprehend the gravitas of the moment, but he stood up and removed his shirt and embraced his coaching staff to celebrate the win.

HS Prannoy is the only player from India to qualify for the semi-final in the singles category. PV Sindhu lost to home player HE Bingjiao in straight sets 16-21, 12-21 to bow out from the Women's Singles quarterfinal match.