BWF World Championship 2021 Highlights: HS Prannoy crashes out; Kidambi Srikanth, Lakshya Sen

BWF World Championship 2021 Highlights: Catch all the highlights from Day 6 of the BWF World Championship 2021.

BWF World Championship 2021 Highlights:

PV Sindhu fails to defend her World Championship title as she concedes a straight-game defeat to Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying on Friday. It was a fairly one-sided game, with Sindhu’s mini-resurgences not proving enough to bail her out. However, Kidambi Srikanth became the third Indian to make the semis in the BWF Worlds in men’s singles with a dominating 21-8, 21-7 win over Mark Caljouw (The Netherlands). Lakshya Sen won a nail-biting three-setter in the second men’s QF tie before HS Prannoy lost the final quarterfinal game of the night.

Badminton

Lakshya Sen after his win:

“I was confident in rallying it out. Both of us made some mistakes. At 20-all I slipped but I managed to pull off a winner and I got a bit lucky. I haven’t played Srikanth in three years, it’s been a while, so it will be a good match. He’s playing really well, he’s beaten opponents in single digits this week. I’m also playing well, and we both play an attacking style. Let’s see who makes the final. India is assured of a finalist, so that’s a good thing. I will go all out.”

Kidambi Srikanth after his win:

“I just told myself I had to be in the match, I didn’t want to give a big lead or make easy mistakes, I had to be focussed. I’m happy to reach this stage. Coming into this tournament, I was only thinking of the first round. From there it was only about the next match.”

HS Prannoy 14-21, 12-21 Kean Yew Loh:

Loh wins the second set as well and confirms his place in the semis where he will face Anders Antonsen. A very dominating show in the second set as well and he comfortably scripted his first win against Prannoy in three attempts. He had earlier lost twice against the Indian, both in 2019.

India will now have 12 medals at the Worlds:

Previously, Prakash Padukone (bronze in 1983) and B Sai Praneeth (bronze in 2019) were the medals winners in men’s singles. PV Sindhu has five medals in the showpiece while Saina Nehwal has two medals to her name. The women’s doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa had also won a bronze in 2011.