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HS Prannoy lost 9-21, 23-21, 20-22 to Weng Hong Yang
That’s it for The Field’s coverage of the Australian Open Super 500
A heart-breaking end for HS Prannoy campaign in what had been an entertaining men’s singles final.
He lost the opening game 9-21 in 17 minutes before bouncing back and winning the second 23-21.
He got agonisingly close in the third game, even having a Championship Point, but credit to Weng Hong Yang, he refused to give up. The Chinese shuttler once trailed 19-14 in the deciding game but clawed his way back into the match – tellingly, by winning that incredible 71-shot rally – to win the title.
For Prannoy, this was a chance for him to win a second tour title in the same season for the first time. That wait continues.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 23-21, 20-22 Weng Hong Yang: Prannoy hits it long. Weng wins it!
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 23-21, 20-21 Weng Hong Yang: Weng has Championship Point now after winning seven of the last eight points.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 23-21, 20-20 Weng Hong Yang: This time Weng clips the net to win the point.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 23-21, 20-19 Weng Hong Yang: Stroke of luck for Prannoy with the net-cord, but he has Championship Point.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 23-21, 19-19 Weng Hong Yang: Weng has won five points on the trot. We’re level again.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 23-21, 19-18 Weng Hong Yang: 71 shots! Excellent defence from Weng, and Prannoy with a tired smash into the net at the end of a nerve-wracking rally.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 23-21, 19-17 Weng Hong Yang: Energetic movement and a big smash to finish from Weng. Prannoy’s lead is now just by two.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 23-21, 19-16 Weng Hong Yang: Unforced error from Prannoy. He still has a three-point lead though.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 23-21, 19-15 Weng Hong Yang: Weng gets a winner at the net.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 23-21, 19-14 Weng Hong Yang: Another big smash. He has a five point lead, and is two points away from the title.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 23-21, 18-14 Weng Hong Yang: Big smash down the line from Prannoy. He’s now three points away.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 23-21, 16-13 Weng Hong Yang: Weng is getting back into this. He’s won four of the last six points.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 23-21, 15-9 Weng Hong Yang: Prannoy now has a six-point lead. Weng looks like he has lost his concentration, just as Prannoy seems to have gone into the zone.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 23-21, 11-8 Weng Hong Yang: Prannoy takes the lead at the interval in this deciding third game.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 23-21, 6-3 Weng Hong Yang: Prannoy with a three-point lead courtesy some heavy-hitting.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 23-21, 2-2 Weng Hong Yang: Weng levels proceedings almost immediately.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 23-21, 2-0 Weng Hong Yang: For the first time this match, Prannoy wins the first two points in a game.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 23-21 Weng Hong Yang: Prannoy takes this into the decider.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 21-22 Weng Hong Yang: Weng smashes wide and Prannoy has another game point.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 21-21 Weng Hong Yang: Wonderful disguise from Weng to draw Prannoy out of position before smashing home a winner.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 21-20 Weng Hong Yang: Excellent defence from Prannoy, and then he turns it to attack to finish off the point. A second game point for the Indian now.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 20-20 Weng Hong Yang: Prannoy’s backhand goes just wide.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 20-19 Weng Hong Yang: Solid backhand smash by Prannoy. He’s got game point now.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 19-19 Weng Hong Yang: Some more drama now. Weng has called for some medical treatment to fix the strappings on his leg it seems. But will it break Prannoy’s momentum?
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 19-19 Weng Hong Yang: Prannoy won’t go away! After an intense rally, Prannoy manages to draw level.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 18-19 Weng Hong Yang: Good aggressive point from Prannoy to force an error from Weng.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 17-19 Weng Hong Yang: Prannoy hits it wide. Just wide.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 17-18 Weng Hong Yang: Weng hits a smash wide. It’s getting tight now.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 16-17 Weng Hong Yang: Weng is back in the lead. He draws a few errors from Prannoy.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 16-15 Weng Hong Yang: Prannoy plays a shot behind the back, instinctively. And at the end of an incredable rally, he wins the point.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 14-13 Weng Hong Yang: Prannoy maintains the lead despite Weng’s fightback. It’s been hard for either of the players to put on a string of points in these last few rallies.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 11-8 Weng Hong Yang: Prannoy has clawed his way back into this game. He takes an 11-8 lead at the second game interval. Can he take this match into the decider?
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 8-7 Weng Hong Yang: Yes he can. For the first time in this match, Prannoy leads in a game.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 7-7 Weng Hong Yang: Prannoy is back in this second game. Can he take a lead for the first time in this game?
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 5-7 Weng Hong Yang: Prannoy seemed to have been clawing his way back. He dominated that rally, Weng was on the back foot throughout, but his defence drew an unforced error from the Indian.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21, 3-6 Weng Hong Yang: Weng continues to hold firm against Prannoy in the second game as well.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 9-21 Weng Hong Yang: Weng clinches the first game comfortably against a seemingly tired Prannoy.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 8-18 Weng Hong Yang: Weng has started to dictate points. He’s got a solid 10-point lead.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 7-14 Weng Hong Yang: Prannoy finally breaks Weng’s run of seven-consecutive points.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 6-11 Weng Hong Yang: The left-hander from China has started to dictate terms, as he takes a five-point lead into the first game interval. Perhaps the break is what Prannoy needs to regroup?
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 6-9 Weng Hong Yang: Prannoy drew level at 5-5, but Weng strings up a few good points to once again hold a three-point advantage.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 2-5 Weng Hong Yang: Prannoy had started to close the gap, but an excellent display in defence by Weng in the seventh point of the match to restore a three-point cushion. Still very early in this encounter though.
Men’s singles final – HS Prannoy (6) 0-3 Weng Hong Yang: Weng gets the better of the veteran Indian in the early exchanges. But still a long way to go.
AND WE’RE OFF!
While we wait, here’s a story from when Prannoy won the Malaysia Masters Super 500 earlier this year.
Malaysia Masters: HS Prannoy and the sweet satisfaction of long-awaited success
Timings update: The men’s singles final will take place immediately after the women’s doubles match ends. Currently, the women’s doubles final between China’s Liu Sheng Shu/Tan Ning and South Korea’s Kim So Yeong/Kong Hee Yong is currently on in the second game.
Hello and welcome to The Field’s coverage of Indian badminton
HS Prannoy is on the verge of winning a second BWF Tour title in the same season for the very first time.
In 2014, the only year he reached two finals, the 31-year-old finished as runner-up at the Vietnam Open and won the Indonesian Masters.
This year, he beat Weng Hong Yang in a tight three-game match to win the title at the Malaysia Masters Super 500. He now faces that same opponent in a bid to win the Australian Open Super 500.
Screenshots in the blog courtesy BWF / Tournament Software