Five-time champion Lin Dan’s journey at the TOTAL BWF World Championships 2019 ended in the second round today as he came up short against HS Prannoy in three games.

The Indian was tied up by Lin’s constricting control in the second game, but managed to break free in the third as the Chinese left-hander started to struggle with the pace. From 6-4, Prannoy stepped on the gas, winning the next 13 of 14 points and leaving Lin trailing in the distance. The 21-11 13-21 21-7 result gives him a third round face-off against top seed Kento Momota.

“I changed a couple of things in the third game. I was ready for a long match,” said Prannoy. “He’s always a tough player, he’s got the experience in the big events, particularly in slow conditions. That was on my mind in the third game, that this should not slip away. I was able to focus on each point and not think about the win, and that’s something I should do on an everyday basis.

Talking about his upcoming third round match against Momota, Prannoy said: “The draw was tough from the start. I’m looking forward to Momota, because there are some things I need to prove and I think this is the event I need, to know that I’m a big tournament player.”

Lin said he could not recover adequately after his first round match against Nguyen Tien Minh.

Match of the session

Belgium’s Lianne Tan fought off a match point against Vietnam’s Nguyen Thuy Linh to win a 59-minute battle, 20-22 22-20 21-13.

Nguyen had overtaken Tan at the end of the second game and held match point at 20-19, but Tan held firm and took the game to a decider, in which she shot ahead.

Mixed doubles fifth seeds Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying had a battle on their hands against Joshua Hurlburt-Yu and Josephine Wu. The Canadians, ranked 35^th to the Malaysians’ fifth placing, surprised their opponents in the second game after trailing 12-15. The fifth seeds nevertheless recovered in the decider and kept a handy lead throughout, claiming the match 21-18 19-21 21-16.

Another entertaining match was the men’s singles second round between Lee Zii Jia and Lu Guang Zu. The encounter between the two fast-rising youngsters was played at a frenetic pace with Lee eventually pulling ahead, 12-21 21-14 21-15. The Malaysian takes on Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto for a place in the quarterfinals.

Other Results

Highlights | 2013 World Champion Ratchanok Intanon claims two-game win over 🇹🇭 Thai compatriot Jindapol to advance to the Round of 16 🏸

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• Ratchanok Intanon, 2013 world champion, held off compatriot Nitchaon Jindapol 22-20 21-14 and will take on fellow stroke-maker Gregoria Mariska Tunjung in the third round.
• Dutch duo Robin Tabeling/Selena Piek blew away Indonesians Ronald Ronald/Annisa Saufika in just 31 minutes, 21-14 21-13.
• Hong Kong’s Chang Tak Ching/Ng Wing Yung ended the Danish challenge in mixed doubles, stopping Niclas Nohr/Sara Thygesen 9-21 21-17 21-17.

Talking Point

“Gregoria’s handwork is quite high; her arm plays much higher than many other players. She uses her wrist a lot. I find it hard to anticipate her shots. I should not let her get confident; if that happens she starts playing fast. She is getting quicker than before, I saw that she is looking quite fit.” – Ratchanok Intanon, on her next match with Gregoria Mariska Tunjung.

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