Kumamoto Masters Japan 2023: Prannoy’s exit ends India’s campaign
At the Kumamoto Masters Japan 2023, the BWF World Tour Super 500 badminton tournament, India’s campaign at the event concluded with HS Prannoy’s exit in the men’s singles round of 16. Ranked 7th in the world, HS Prannoy lost to world No. 12 Chou Tien Chen from Chinese Taipei. The match, which lasted one hour and 13 minutes, saw Prannoy winning the first game 21-19 but eventually falling 16-21, 19-21 in the following games at the Kumamoto Masters Japan 2023.
HS Prannoy’s pre-quarter-final match
In the initial game, HS Prannoy was leading with a score of 11-8 and maintained his lead until Chou Tien Chen’s comeback, although Prannoy had three opportunities to win the match. Prannoy, however, won the first set by 21-19. Chou’s persistence paid off in the second game as he began with a 5-0 lead. Despite Prannoy leveling the score at 10 each, Chou earned the second game in his favor, winning most of the subsequent points.
In the all-important third game, Prannoy found himself trailing but fought back to narrow the gap. However, Chou was able to maintain his lead and advanced to the quarter-finals of the Kumamoto Masters Japan 2023. This tournament marked HS Prannoy’s return to the international circuit after winning a bronze medal at the Asian Games 2022. He also played an instrumental role in India’s silver medal-winning performance in the Asiad. However, in Hangzhou, he suffered from a back injury that kept him out of the Denmark and French Opens.
How did other Indians perform?
Other Indian players like Lakshya Sen, Priyanshu Rajawat, and the men’s doubles team comprising Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were eliminated early. The duo of Chirag and Satwiksairaj, ranked fifth globally, lost to the 21st-ranked team from Chinese Taipei Lu Ching Yao and Yang Po Han by 21-16, 18-21, 16-21. Lakshya Sen was defeated in straight sets by world no. 5 Kodai Naraoka, while Priyanshu Rajawat lost to Lin Chun-Yi from Chinese Taipei.
The results from the Kumamoto Masters Japan 2023 will contribute to the players’ rankings who are aiming to qualify for the Paris Olympics 2024, with the qualification period running from May 2023 to April 2024. Indian players are now set to compete in the upcoming China Masters, a BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament, starting from November 21 in Shenzhen.
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