India’s B Sai Praneeth entered the semi-final of the Singapore Open on Friday after upsetting eighth seed Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk of Thailand 15-21, 21-14, 21-19 in a marathon 70-minute encounter.
With the win, the 24-year-old earned his maiden appearance in the last-four of a Superseries tournament.
All the games were tightly contested with both players deciding to play it safe, predominantly operating from the baseline, resulting in long rallies. Saensomboonsuk reeled off four consecutive points in the first game to march into the lead, and the Indian was unable to get back in the contest.
The tables turned for Saensomboonsuk in the second game as it was the 24-year-old from Hyderabad who held his nerve in the closing stages, taking the game to the decider with a comfortable 21-14 win in the second game.
There was nothing to choose from in the final game, but Saensomboonsuk had a slender lead. Sai Praneeth was immaculate with his cross-court drops, and scampered over the finish line.
Sai Praneeth will play the winner of the quarter-final encounter between Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie and South Korea’s Lee Dong-keun. Another Indian, Kidambi Srikanth, will play his last-eight match later in the day.
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