India’s ace player HS Prannoy beat compatriot Kidambi Srikanth in an all-Indian affair to make it to the men’s singles quarter-finals at the ongoing Japan Open 2023 tournament in Tokyo on Thursday.
Playing at Yoyogi National Gymnasium Court 1, Prannoy, ranked 10th in the men’s singles badminton rankings, scripted a fine comeback performance to beat world No. 20 Srikanth 19-21, 21-9, 21-9. In the exciting first game, Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth battled toe-to-toe. With the scores knotted at 18-all, Srikanth seized control at a critical stage and won the first game.
Despite being down a game, Prannoy replied with style, winning the next two games by large margins to win the match in 57 minutes. This was Prannoy’s third victory over Srikanth in nine matches. Interestingly, Prannoy’s most recent victory over his senior compatriot occurred at the 2019 Japan Open.
