Competing in the men's singles Group A in Bangkok, India's HS Prannoy suffered his second loss at the BWF World Tour Finals 2022 after a match against Lu Guang Zu of China. Prannoy, currently ranked 12th globally, played through a visible knee injury, evidenced by the heavy strapping on his right leg. He pushed the match to a deciding third game where he held a strong position for a while, but ultimately dropped the match 21-23, 21-17, 19-21. It was a hard-fought contest that lasted nearly an hour and a half.
Indian shuttler HS Prannoy suffered his second defeat in the BWF World Tour Finals 2022 against Lu Guang Zu of China in Group A of the men’s singles match in Bangkok. Prannoy, ranked 12th in the world badminton rankings, started the match with his right knee heavily strapped. Though the Indian was comfortably dictating in the third game, he failed to maintain the momentum and ultimately lost 21-23, 21-17, and 19-21 against Guang Zu. India’s ace shuttler made the contest exciting and gave his best in an hour and 24 minutes battle.
This year-end championship has been challenging for Prannoy, who also lost his opening match to Japan's Kodai Naraoka this past Wednesday. With two losses already on his record, he can no longer advance to the final four, regardless of whether he beats the top-seeded Viktor Axelsen in his final group outing today. The tournament format only allows the top two players from each group to move forward.
The first game was a war of attrition with several long rallies. Lu Guang Zu, ranked 17th in the world, initially took command with a 13-10 lead. However, Prannoy showed great resilience, leveling the score at 15-15 and clawing his way to a 19-16 advantage. Unfortunately, he lost his rhythm in the closing moments and struggled to maintain the intensity, conceding seven of the final nine points to lose the set.
Entering the second game, the 30-year-old Prannoy found himself trailing 10-11. Once again, he managed to dig deep, using precise smashes that landed right on the lines to turn the tide and force a third game.
The final set saw another comeback; after trailing 10-14, Prannoy surged forward to lead 19-18. However, a few costly unforced errors at the most critical juncture allowed Guang Zu to claim the final three points and secure the victory.
This result marks the second time Prannoy has lost to the 26-year-old Chinese athlete, following a similar defeat in the French Open round of 16 back in October. Prannoy now faces the world number one, Viktor Axelsen, in Friday's final group match, where he will be aiming to finish his tournament on a high note.
India's chances were further diminished when Olympic medalist PV Sindhu had to pull out of the BWF World Tour Finals due to an ankle injury. As the 2018 women's singles champion, Sindhu remains the only Indian player to have ever medaled at this event.