HS Prannoy progressed through to the final of the Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold after defeating Tzu Wei Wang 12-21 21-14 23-21 in a tight contest in Basel on Saturday.
The opening game saw Wang take control from the word go, taking the lead and maintaining it right throughout the game, even though at certain intervals the Indian did produce some terrific shots, it proved to be futile and he went down 21-12.
With his backs against the wall, Prannoy needed a good start but didn't get one, however, the game was split into two intervals- the first one at the 3-3 mark, which the Chinese Taipei lad won, and then at the 9-9 mark, when the Indian took the upper hand winning 4 points straight to make it 13-9 and then at the 14-12 mark, winning 4 points to make it 18-12 and eventually won the game 21-14 to take the match into a decider.
The decider turned out to be a cliffhanger from the word go, as both players pegged one another back at all times but in the end at the 21-21 mark it was Prannoy who held his nerve, and won the game 23-21 and made his entry into the final.
He will play Marc Zwiebler in the final later today.
Final Scoreline- HS Prannoy beat Tzu Wei Wang 13-21 21-14 23-21
Saina crashes out in semis
While it was joy for Prannoy, it was disappointment for Saina Nehwal, who once again fell to her long-time nemesis Wang Yihan 21-11 21-19 in the semifinals on Saturday. It was a dominating performance from the Chinese in the opening game as she left Saina well behind from the start, leaving the Indian confused and clueless and winning the game 21-11.
The second game was a much closer affair, especially after the 11-11 mark, but unlike Prannoy earlier, Saina couldn't hold her nerve and went down to her opponent yet again.
Final Scoreline- Wang Yihan beat Saina Nehwal 21-11 21-19
