Slow, edgy Prannoy outclassed by China’s Zhao in Indonesia Open semis

The World No 23 Indian went down 21-16, 21-15 against a much faster and sharper opponent.

Playing his second semifinal at the Indonesia Open, Prannoy, who turns 30 next month, fell behind from the start as he couldn't keep pace with his opponent in rallies. (File)

HS Prannoy was off the pace and caught out on the corner defense, going down in the semi-finals of the Indonesia Open Super 1000 against Chinese Zhao Jun Peng at the Istora in Jakarta on Saturday. It was a tame 21-16, 21-15 submission against a much faster and sharper opponent, whose own compact defense magnified the Indian’s sluggishness and neutralised flashes of his attack.

Just the once at 6-4 in the second did Prannoy lead against the 26-year-old southpaw, who revelled in sending down steep, incisive, and very powerful smashes. Prannoy’s movement in chasing down the bird appeared severely constricted, and though he had the right attacking plans and some assertive winners, the bedrock of staying in the rally – keeping the shuttle in play – was entirely missing, as the Chinese peppered the lines against the leg-locked 29-year-old.

The left-handed Zhao can be ambushed as Lakshya Sen did at the World Championships quarters – specifically in the last three points, surprising him with a change of gears and a net attack that blinded the Chinese. But those rallies had involved defending as if his life depended on it, and then pouncing on the finishing nerves.

A valiant effort, champ! 👏

HS Prannoy's campaign at the Indonesia Open 2022 comes to an end following a 16-21, 9-21 loss to Zhao Jun Peng of 🇨🇳 in the semi-finals. 🏸

📸: @badmintonphoto #IndonesiaOpen2022 | #BWFWorldTour pic.twitter.com/C0QCgYuTMq

— Olympic Khel (@OlympicKhel) June 18, 2022

Prannoy couldn’t enforce that same pressure, with his bashfulness to get dirt under the nails in the long rallies. Zhao was keyed up a little more than usual, and trying too hard too, unveiling all the little deceptions and overhead wrist flicks all at once. Edgy and over-eager he might well be, but that wasn’t causing errors. Prannoy, though constantly wanting to up his ante, was prone to errors especially on the forehand, betraying his own nerves.

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Being in finals prior, matters. And perhaps seeing the possibility in striking distance, Prannoy couldn’t keep his calm, over-hitting at times, trying flashy returns at others. But the Chinese kept such steady pressure on the Indian that he couldn’t string together more than three or four straight points respectively in the two sets.

Zhao also could comfortably hit through him. The Chinese has a sliced bottom thwack under the shuttle, which shoots the bird up awkwardly, but also a prominent cross-smash which is all shoulder. Prannoy looked two frames too slow in not only getting to the shuttle and was out-muscled.

This was a World No 23, a month short of 30, against a Chinese who might’ve lost the prime playing years to the pandemic, but comes from a long lineage of southpaws – Bao Chunlai and Lin Dan. He’s not as talented or poised and complete, but used the naturally troubling leftie angles to his advantage, and perhaps chastised by the Sen loss at Huelva Worlds, didn’t take the foot off the pedal.

Prannoy, always playing catch-up, needed an extra gear, but also better fitness to match up to the blitzing Chinese, and he lacked the defensive solidity to get himself into the game. He had come past Lakshya Sen, NG Ka Long Angus and Rasmus Gemke to get to the semis. But the Top 10 level is paced one tempo faster, and Zhao, who isn’t officially a Top 10 but holds the pedigree to be there, pounced on his chance to set up a faceoff with Viktor Axelsen.

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Zhao has a favourable head-to-head record against both Kento Momota and Chou Tien Chen, and is on an even keel with Jonatan Christie. He boasts one off wins against Axelsen and Ginting too.

Prannoy is in the middle of an injury-free season and can stomp on the court. But he will need much higher fitness to challenge the big guns. Saturday wasn’t his day, by a distance.