 "India Open 2024: Prannoy fends off Rajawat, Sat-Chi sail through to last 8")
HS Prannoy gave his sweat and blood literally to get past raging Priyanshu Rajawat in a three-set thriller in the men’s singles Round of 16 draw at the India Open 2024 in New Delhi on Thursday, January 18. He is now the only Indian singles player in the quarterfinal. The men's doubles pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chiragh Shetty though had it easy as they won their Round of 16 match in straight sets to advance to the quarterfinals.
Fierce Start by Rajawat
Rajawat started strong and matched Prannoy's patient game until it was 7-7, even as the senior Indian displayed glimpses of brilliance with down-the-line and cross-court smashes in the first half of the first set.
Rajawat then switched to his fast-paced game and gained back-to-back points to take the lead at 9-8 before Prannoy made a comeback. Rajawat challenged a call and got it in his favor. However, Prannoy continued to mesmerize the crowd with his backhand returns and impossible angles. He managed to take a one-point lead at the mid-game interval, leading 11-10.
Prannoy extended the lead to 13-11. However, the young Indian was determined not to let the first game slip away and fought back to make it 13-15.
Down but not Out
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Priyanshu, while attempting to return the shuttle, played it deep into Prannoy's backcourt, fell, and landed flat on his back. However, he quickly got up and played some exceptional drop shots to earn points and narrow the gap to 15-17. The fall seemed to rejuvenate Rajawat's game, and he kept Prannoy engaged in the first set.
The score became 18-18, and the game could have gone either way. Rajawat's aggressive play forced Prannoy to make an error in his return, and the 21-year-old seized his first game point. Prannoy managed to save both game points, making it 20-all. A clever drop shot near the sideline gave Priyanshu his third game point, and he clinched the first set with a powerful bodyline smash.
A Different Start to the Second Set
Rajawat looked entirely different in the second set as he lost five consecutive points to the Indian number one. Longer rallies allowed Prannoy to strategize and capitalize on errors from his younger compatriot. Unforced errors led to Rajwat trailing 0-7 in the second set before a rare service fault by Prannoy gave Rajawat a lifeline.
On the center court, the star Indian men's doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireedy and Chirag Shetty garnered the attention of most of the crowd at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall. They led 9-8 in their Round of 16 match against the Chinese Taipei pair of Lu Ching Yao and Yang P Han. They extended their lead to 11-8 at the mid-game interval.
Rajwat did win five of the last nine points at the mid-game interval in the second set. He was seen tending to his ankles. In the end, it was too much for him to handle as he went down 14-21, conceding the second set and taking the match into the final set.
Total Dominance from Prannoy
World number nine Prannoy dominated the final game, taking a commanding 10-1 lead. However, he made an unforced error at the net, followed by a down-the-line smash, narrowing the score to 10-3. A fortunate net shot helped Prannoy secure an 11-4 lead at the mid-game interval.
Prannoy Bleeding
At 13-7, there appeared to be an interruption in the game as medics were needed to clean spots from the court. It was later confirmed that Prannoy was indeed bleeding, and medics in white coats arrived again to clean the floor.
Sat-Chi Providing Joy to the Crowd
However, on the center court, there were no such issues as the crowd reveled in the joy of Satwik-Chirag leading 15-11 in the second game, having already won the first one. They eventually won the second set 21-15 and the match in straight sets 21-14, 21-15, advancing to the quarterfinals.
Prannoy Gives His All, Literally
Prannoy managed to stop the bleeding from his arms and also won the third set 21-14, securing the victory with a final score of 20-22, 21-14, 21-14.