Lakshya, Prannoy, Priyanshu all fall collectively
NEW DELHI: Priyanshu Rajawat was cramping up. HS Prannoy was at ‘60-70%’ and but to utterly get well from his well being points. And it simply wasn’t Lakshya Sen’s day on the $950,000 India Open badminton right here.
The defeats – within the span of 90 minutes on Wednesday night – of India’s three highest ranked males’s singles gamers means the hosts will barely have any illustration within the class on the Tremendous 750 match going into the second spherical.
Kiran George, who was promoted from the reserve checklist after Indonesian eighth seed Anthony Sinisuka Ginting pulled out, would be the solely Indian males’s singles participant taking the court docket on Thursday in a class thought of the nation’s strongest. And Kiran gained’t have it straightforward both as he’ll tackle rising French shuttler Alex Lanier, who knocked out reigning world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn within the opener on Tuesday.
It wasn’t Lakshya’s day on the Indira Gandhi Sports activities Advanced – he misplaced 15-21, 10-21 to Chinese language Taipei’s Lin Chun-Yi – however India’s highest ranked shuttler has barely had any ‘my day’ for the reason that Olympics. The world No.12 got here near medalling in Paris, however two meltdowns noticed him miss out on the rostrum.
However the Commonwealth Video games champion, who’s India’s finest prospect wanting on the future, has did not ship since then. In seven tournaments, the 23-year-old has suffered 5 first spherical exits. He gained the Syed Modi India Worldwide in Lucknow final month to finish a 28-month drought, however the Tremendous 300 occasion barely had any prime shuttler and Lakshya was the highest seed.
“It’s only a dangerous day as a result of I ready rather well and I performed just a few good matches earlier than that. Sure, Malaysia (Open final week) didn’t go effectively. Even immediately. It’s time to now focus and actually put together for the following matches. A couple of adjustments right here and there in coaching,” stated Lakshya, who will subsequent play within the Indonesia Masters in Jakarta subsequent week.
Prannoy has been unfortunate as ever. Whereas 2023 proved the perfect season of his profession, profitable bronze medals on the World Championships and Asian Video games other than clinching the Malaysia Masters, his profession graph noticed an enormous dip final 12 months after the 32-year-old suffered a number of well being points.
The participant from Kerala suffered from fixed nausea in early 2024 which began with a malfunctioning muscle lining the oesophagus, inflicting meals to maneuver again up and forcing him to vomit. The situation was just like the acid reflux disease Prannoy had for years earlier than he lastly found out the answer. His medical points additionally noticed him lose 4 kilograms and had a psychological impression on him.
Then, simply when he thought he was recovering and making a comeback, Prannoy was recognized with Chikungunya simply earlier than the Olympics, which had a long-lasting impact on him.
The Olympian took a four-month break after shedding to Lakshya within the Spherical of 16 at Paris and returned to the circuit on the Malaysia Open final week, the place he misplaced within the second spherical. On Wednesday, Prannoy fought exhausting to take a recreation off Chinese language Taipei’s Su Li Yang however didn’t have the power to push his opponent, taking place 21-16, 18-21, 12-21.
“Put up Chikungunya, it was robust to return to regular work. It took 2-3 months to simply get again on court docket, which exhibits how dangerous the after results had been. It’s a tricky spot to be in as an athlete with many uncertainties relating to bodily well being,” Prannoy stated after the loss.
“However so much has been addressed and I’m now round 60-70% match. It is necessary for me to simply preserve taking part in on the circuit. Malaysia Open was an honest match for me. However there have been some ankle niggles right here. It was wanting robust immediately.”
Hailed as the following huge factor in Indian badminton, Priyanshu too has largely been inconsistent since profitable the Orleans Masters in France two years again. Although he reached the semis on the Syed Modi India Worldwide and Canada Open final 12 months, he suffered a number of first spherical exits. It was no completely different on Wednesday as he misplaced 16-21, 22-20, 13-21 to Japan’s Kodai Naroaka.
