BWF World Championships: India shuttler HS Prannoy topples Finland's Oldorff to storm into Round of 32

India shuttler HS Prannoy successfully avoided the fate that Lakshya Sen endured and edged past Finland's Joakim Oldorff in the Round of 64 to storm into the next stage of the men's singles event at the ongoing BWF World Championships 2025 on Tuesday. Prannoy, ranked 34, faced a stern test but managed to conjure a 21-18, 21-15 victory against the 22-year-old in a contest that lasted for 47 minutes. In the opening game, the 47th-ranked Finnish shuttler raced to a 5-7 lead with his sharp movement and precise shots.

The 33-year-old Indian, who was still settling in, didn't show any sign of panic. He made Oldorff chase the shuttle, bringing the score level at 8-8. Momentum began oscillating like a pendulum as Prannoy seized control. Midway through the game, Prannoy gained a 14-11 lead. Oldorff wasn't willing to go down without a fight, forced a couple of errors from Prannoy and restored parity at 17-all. Prannoy regained control and clinched three consecutive points. Oldorff fought to take one point, but Prannoy delivered the decisive blow to take the first game by 21-18 in 24 minutes.

In the second game, Oldorff, trailing by 4-7, turned the tide around to make things level at 8-8. Prannoy derailed Oldorff's momentum by restoring a slender three-point advantage with the scoreline reading 11-8. Prannoy extended his buffer to four points and closed out the contest with a 21-15 win. Meanwhile, in the women's singles event, PV Sindhu warded off a challenge from Bulgaria's Kaloyana Nalbantova with a 23-21, 21-6 scoreline in 39 minutes.

Earlier in the tournament, Lakshya Sen crashed out of the tournament after surrendering to a defeat against the top-seeded Chinese shuttler Shi Yu Qi in the opening round of the competition. Competing at the Adidas Arena, the same venue used for the Paris 2024 Olympics badminton events, world No. 21 Lakshya Sen fought hard but lost the contest 21-17, 21-19 in 54 minutes. (ANI)

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