AUCKLAND: HS Prannoy fought valiantly earlier than losing to fifth seed Kanta Tsuneyama of Japan in the men’s singles quarterfinal, drawing curtains on India’s campaign at the New Zealand Open badminton tournament on Friday.
Unseeded Prannoy squandered a one-recreation advantage earlier than dropping 21-17, 15-21, 14-21 to world wide variety 11 Japanese shuttler in a marathon ultimate-eight round fit which lasted an hour and 13 mins.
The two shuttlers now enjoy a 1-1 head-to-head record against every other.
The first recreation witnessed a close fight between Prannoy and Tsuneyama as both matched every stroke for stroke until the first thirteen factors earlier than the Indian pocketed 4 immediately points to surge ahead 17-13.
The Japanese didn’t give up and reduced the distance to 17-18 before Prannoy secured three points at the trot to take the first recreation.
Prannoy raced to a four-0 lead inside the 2d game quickly before extending it to 11-five.
But then the Indian hit a roadblock and dedicated unforced mistakes to provide his opponent a leeway, and the Tsuneyama grabbed the hazard with each finger. He received eight instantly factors to transport beforehand 14-11.
The Indian managed to draw stage at 14 apiece before Tsuneyama closed out the game at 21-15 in his favor.
The decider, too, turned into a hard-fought one as each of the shuttlers had been now not in a mood to concede an each. They have been tied at 14-14 before the Japanese lifted his sport to seal the tie.
Tsuneyama will play third seed and Jakarta Asian Games gold medallist Jonathan Christie within the last-four spherical.
