All England badminton: HS Prannoy goes to Round 2 after defeating Wang Tzu Wei in a competitive match.

It wasn’t a long match like the half a dozen times previously. Nonetheless, Taiwan’s Wang Tzu Wei did pursue and nip at HS Prannoy’s heels the entire match before losing to the Indian at the All England Badminton Championships 21-19, 22-20.

After Thai Kantaphon Wangcharoen, the third-seeded Indonesian player, was dispatched in two games, 21-17, 21-19, Prannoy will play Anthony Ginting in the second round. Prannoy has faced the quick Ginting three times and is up 2-1 in their series. However, Wang provided a decent workout during his “frenzied rallies” style of play, with numerous mistakes tarnishing a sound strategy to catch Prannoy on his backhand lunge to the forecourt corner.

In the first game, Wang ambitiously attacked Prannoy in rallies but lacked the dexterity to score from his side of the net. Prannoy was playing well at the net. Even after the Indian reached 11-4 fast, the shuttle dragged on a little slowly and rallies were drawn out.

When Wang attempted to blitz him by rushing to the net, Prannoy would rely on his thunderous forehand smashes to get under the shuttle early. The Indian eventually won the first set 21-19 after Wang tied it up at 19-all. He eliminated Wang’s aspirations of racing to grab the opening point with a counter-blitz and a lot of shoulder on the big kills, scoring two crucial points with straight smashes.

However, Wang employed his cross-drops more frequently and somewhat successfully to call Prannoy to the backhand front corner and bring out lifting mistakes. Prannoy had to play flatter and straighter while pushing Wang to the opposing flanks and manipulating the lines in order to prevent him from giving him the angle and elevation necessary to pour out those drop shots.

After falling behind 4-0 in the second, Prannoy eventually took the lead at 11-10. When Wang sought to tangle him at the net while he was being pushed to chase the corners, he would turn to his big smashing game. Finally, Prannoy managed to pin him back after he once again levelled at 19-all, and after some stutters and furious reflex defence of body smashes, sealed down the match 21-19, 22-20.