Basel (Switzerland): B Sai Praneeth became the first Indian male shuttler in 36 years to secure a medal in the BWF World Championships after a straight-game victory over Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie propelled him into the semifinals here Friday.
World No. 19 Praneeth, who got the Arjuna Award this year, notched up a 24-22, 21-14 win over Asian Games gold medallist and World No. 4 Jonatan in the quarterfinals. Prakash Padukone was the first Indian to win a men’s singles World Championships medal – a bronze – in the 1983 edition of the Badminton World Championships.
B Sai Praneeth came into the tournament with a 1-2 head-to-head count against the Indonesian. In the opening game, the Indian jumped to a 8-4 lead, but Jonatan stepped up to claw back at 10-10 before Praneeth managed a slender 11-10 advantage at the break with the help of a delicate shot at the net.
The duo continued their battle after the breather as Jonatan kept breathing down B Sai Praneeth’s neck. Praneeth eventually grabbed a game point at 20-19 with a cross court smash at the back, but Jonatan turned the tables and enjoyed a game point himself.
However, Praneeth ensured he had the last laugh. The Indian unleashed a powerful smash which the Indonesian hit wide and then his rival’s weak return got buried at the net.
Praneeth missed the shuttle at the backline to concede a point but he grabbed the required two points – the last last one with a cross court smash – to pocket the opening game.
The second game turned out to be a one-way traffic as Praneeth came out with all cylinders blazing to, first surge to a 7-1 lead, and then a massive 11-3 advantage at the break.
Jonatan tried to recover and narrowed the gap to 12-15 but the Indian stepped up to grab six match points, punishing a weak return and then shutting the door on Jonatan, who went wide.
PTI
