China Open: Prannoy Back from the Brink
HS Prannoy pulled off a remarkable escape act from the brink of defeat to make the second round of the VICTOR China Open 2025.
· BWF STAFF
The 33-year-old trailed throughout the third game against Koki Watanabe, falling behind 2-11 at the interval, and was five match points down at 15-20 before a six-point sequence at the death put him ahead. He converted his second match point to earn a second round spot against sixth seed Chou Tien Chen with the 8-21 21-16 23-21 result.
“That was unexpected,” said Prannoy. “At this point of my career, each and every win matters. But I’m happy to be back on Tour; I had some breaks here and there.”
Prannoy has had a quiet season so far, having fallen in the first or second round of all his nine tournaments. One of the senior faces in men’s singles, he acknowledged that it was getting harder to cross the early rounds with the arrival of a new generation.