Trailing 1-11 within the opening set, HS Prannoy received tongues wagging. It received cranky and borderline nasty as he misplaced the opener 6-21. By the top of his 6-21, 21-18, 21-19 win nonetheless, followers watching on the Youtube stream couldn’t cease gushing about his back-from-the-dead abilities. Although India misplaced the tie 2-3 to China, not affecting their quarterfinals progress, Prannoy served a reminder of why he was India’s No 1 and headed to the Olympics.
It’s a script that forces double takes every time you watch it. Although Indians must know higher, having seen him pull this off at Thomas Cup semifinals towards Rasmus Gemke.
Taking part in the primary males’s singles rubber towards Weng Hong Yang, the cheeky Indian was merely telling the Chinese language southpaw, simply what number of methods he has up his sleeve, and the way he can crackle up the embers of a reasonably routine group match of the Asian Workforce Championships. The rivalry between the 2 gamers is barely two-finals previous, each profitable one match every, but it surely at all times will get thrilling. On Thursday in Shah Alam in Malaysia, Prannoy pulled off one other one in every of his rope-a-dope hijinks.
Indian males will subsequent face Japan within the quarters whereas the ladies, having toppled China, will play Hong Kong subsequent. A probably difficult opponent Kodai Naraoka maybe lies in ready for Prannoy.
This 12 months marks the fiftieth anniversary of Muhammad Ali’s Rumble within the Jungle towards George Foreman the place he leant on the ropes letting his opponent have his punches and expending power, absorbing the blows, earlier than he countered together with his personal blitz. Prannoy at 1-11 down was on the ropes.
By the point the rating learn 11-9 within the second, Prannoy was stringing Weng alongside each flanks, having risen from his sluggish begin, the primary set virtually a prologue to the remainder of the match. The change in momentum occurred step by step with out the clever Chinese language realising the ebb of it, but it surely was seen in Prannoy’s hand pace and stomp of the toes.
For one, the 31-year-old began placing the shuttle excessive and sending it right into a taller parabola that might tire out Weng’s arms simply returning. Stroke after stroke, Prannoy gave the shuttle correct altitude, catching him on the excessive forehand on the again court docket, utilizing his top. Simply the prolonging rallies ate into Weng’s power. Then got here the web confrontations, and the Indian is a grasp on the forecourt with angles and uncooked anger with which the shuttle is lasered in.
It was the sooner again and forths mixed with probably the most irritating size that broke down Weng at 21-18. Medical timeouts have been well weaved in.
Within the decider, the hand pace noticeably went up when the duo have been deadlocked at 9-9. By now he was charging to the web, and although the Chinese language No 16 matched the No 7 in aggression, he didn’t have half of Prannoy’s delicate methods.
At 16-18, Weng reckoned he was surging to the end line. Nevertheless it was on 17-18 that Prannoy pulled out his signature backhand straight whip alongside the strains, a shot of such talent that the Chinese language was left dumbfounded. Prannoy performed it from virtually the again left nook, and with that torque, the almost definitely angle could be a crosscourt on the backhand. The Indian despatched it straight as an arrow.
Prannoy’s backhand received him to 20-18 on the web. And since it’s HSP vs WHY, and it can’t be over until there’s some dramatic ending, he dumped the silliest of smashes into the web to make it a giddy 20-19. For 21-19, it was as soon as once more a type of vertiginous tall floaters which had Weng reaching out excessive, and ending within the web. On the 11-1 break within the opener, Weng wouldn’t have imagined this.
Lulling opponents right into a soft begin within the first set and getting them to consider they’re on high of this, is Prannoy’s factor. For the reason that starting of 2022, he has misplaced 24 first units, and gained 13 of these matches. A perennial sluggish starter, he’s recognized to amass a peaceful studying on opponents on this interval, get a measure of the drift, look suitably brooding and bored, if not overwhelmed already. Discuss of his most up-to-date harm and the way he may not have recovered lingers conveniently.
After which he switches at a flick.
Not all of it’s by design and a few secret plan. Possibly he genuinely takes time to get began. When he gained the Malaysia Masters, he misplaced openers in his first two matches. That point he fooled Li Shifeng. It hasn’t labored towards Naraoka. But, on Thursday, he completed off what he’d left unsettled on the Australia Open remaining towards Weng, avenging him.
Hedging on the primary set and leaving it to the top like MS Dhoni appears to be like grand, however can backfire on days. In his 30s, enjoying three units additionally prolongs restoration for subsequent day’s spherical. His staff has been engaged on getting him revved up rapidly so he can wrap up in two units. However when he drops the primary, for opponents, there’s no assure that when he’s down, he’s sure to be out.