In a nail-biting Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour match, unseeded Chinese player Weng Hong triumphed over sixth seed, Prannoy from India, snatching his first BWF World Tour title since the 2022 Korea Open. The hour-and-a-half-long clash saw Weng rise from a game down to claim victory with scores of 21-19, 21-23, 22-20.
Prannoy, ranked ninth globally, appeared directionless in the initial game, losing 9-21. Nevertheless, he made a powerful comeback in the second game. The second game witnessed intense back-and-forth play, eventually leading to Prannoy’s 23-21 win. The deciding match was also neck-and-neck, with Weng making an impressive recovery from 14-19 down to capture the game 22-20.
Before the final, Prannoy reached the decisive match with a clean sweep of 21-18, 21-12 against fellow Indian player Priyanshu Rajawat in the semi-finals on Saturday, August 5. On the same day, Weng Hong had to confront and overcome Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia in three strenuous games of 21-19, 13-21, 21-13 to secure his place in the final.
Interestingly, this was the second face-off between Prannoy and Weng, also their second meeting in a final. Their previous encounter at the 2023 Malaysia Masters ended in Prannoy’s favor, with him scoring 21-19, 13-21, 21-18. This time around, however, Weng gained redemption at the Australian Open Badminton tournament, leveling the score.
This marked the second appearance in a BWF Tour final for both players this year. Following the results, silver medalist Prannoy and gold medalist Weng stood proudly as the crowd applauded their thrilling performance. Weng additionally received a trophy for winning the Australian Open crown.
Next, Indian shuttlers, including Prannoy, will eagerly await the drawing of opponents for the World Championships 2023, scheduled for August 8.
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