India’s campaign at the Japan Masters Super 500 ended on Thursday after HS Prannoy lost a tight men’s singles match to Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen.
Prannoy, the seventh seed, was facing the world No 12 in the second round, but lost 21-19, 16-21, 19-21 in a match that lasted 73 minutes.
Prannoy started the match well, taking an early 4-0 lead only for Chou to find his way back into the game. The duo were locked at 7-7 and 8-8 before Prannoy took another slender lead, one he would hold onto to win the opening game 21-19.
Just as it was for the Indian in the first game, Chou took a quick lead in the second game only for Prannoy to level proceedings. But at 10-10, Chou won four points on the trot to take a lead. He would go on to win the second game 21-16 to take the match into the decider.
Chou started off well in the final game and even had a commanding 12-4 lead. But Prannoy would not give in and kept pushing back, eventually levelling it at 19-19.
But the shuttler from Chinese Taipei managed to get over the line, winning the next two points to clinch an entertaining match in three games.
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