India Open: Priyanshu stuns Lakshya to set up 2nd round clash against Prannoy

HS Prannoy made a short work of Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei to seal his place in the second round of the India Open Super 750 in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Prannoy will take on fellow Indian shuttler Priyanshu Rajawat in the second round. Rajawat, ranked 30 in the world, won a 75-minute thriller to get the better of former World Championships bronze medallist Lakshya Sen, who had to deal with a second consecutive first-round exit this year.

Prannoy, ranked ninth in the world, dished out a superlative performance. Cheered by the home crowd at the KD Jadhav Hall at the Indira Gandhi Arena, Prannoy blew away world no. 13 Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei in 42 minutes.

Prannoy won the match in straight games (21-6, 21-19).

“It was important to close it in two games because if it is the third game, then it is always a tough one as he (Chen) pushes with his experience," said Prannoy after the match.

Rajawat, however, had put up a contrasting performance in a first-round match that lasted for an hour and 15 minutes. He lost the opening game 16-21 before rallying back in the match by claiming the second game 21-16 to draw level.

In the third game, he proved too good for Lakshya, who ran out of steam against a confident Rajawat, who stomped around the court and bamboozled his experienced countryman to secure a 21-13 win.

Last week, at the Malaysia Open, Lakshya lost in the Round of 32 against Weng Hong Yang of China.

In the Round of 16, Prannoy and Rajawat will face off in an all-Indian clash on Wednesday.

In another men's singles clash, Kiran George made a first-round exit, losing to Wang Tzu Wei 12-21,15-21.

The women's doubles pair of Rutaparna Panda and Swetaparna Panda too lost in straight games to Yeung Nga Ting and Yeung Pui Lam.