HS Prannoy: The Extraordinary Bounty Hunter sparkles at Malaysian Super 1000 badminton

On Thursday, Prannoy made yet another quarterfinal at the Malaysian Super 1000, with a 21-9, 15-21, 21-16 win over Indonesian new hope Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo. It was the second consecutive day that he took out a young, talented and – in this case madly-elastic – upstarts, who bring a mix of athleticism and irretrievable power to the court. Prannoy’s had Lakshya Sen’s number for a while now (3-3 head to head in the last year), and stands 3-1 against Singapore’s young former world champion and speed-skidder Loh Kean Yew.

So what makes Prannoy, a human-sized slayer of both the reputed Goliath giants and the restless-to-make-a-mark-soon young Davids? The 30-year-old seems uniquely equipped to take on any sort of game on the Tour. He can and has taken out Viktor Axelsen in the recent past. And he isn’t rumbled out of draws by the upcoming names and their speedy, scything games as was seen against Wardoyo.

The Indonesian was left splayed on the floor multiple times by Prannoy’s canny attack. But it was the Indian’s ability to absorb the artillery thrown at him that helped him slam the lid down on the springy shuttler in the box.

 

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The Indian has made his name as a bounty-hunter, claiming prized scalps and then disappearing into the wings. But in this latter stage of his career, while visibly calm, Prannoy is schooling the wide-ranging new generation in constructing victories block by neatly-thought-out block. Each rally ends up in becoming an education in exploring the different strokes of badminton. The titles haven’t exactly occured – and that will be held against him forever or till he traps one down. But there isn’t a player on the circuit who can say with confidence that he fancies a stroll in the park against the tall Indian.

More nuanced game

So is it his ‘Backhand beast’ reputation? Maybe not, for those days when he relied on that monster backhand to smash and roar are in the past. Sure, Prannoy goes across the body for a wicked down-the-line backhand placement still, but it’s a decidedly nuanced stroke of deception now, not the kill-winner with a whiplash forearm.

HS Prannoy scripted a stellar run in 2022.(FILE)

Throughout his win against Wardoyo, it was the gamut of variations that shone through, and it was his expansive repertoire from the high turrets, rather than one trademark tornado stroke, that shot down the Indonesian’s challenge.

The 14-minute first game was a typical scorcher-before-you-settle-in-your-seats business. Prannoy didn’t permit Wardoyo time to think at all. The second was treated like a breather, and though the gap always remained four points or more, Wardoyo was made to work for his points. Prannoy has turned into some sort of a third-game specialist with MS Dhoni-esque temperament and confidence in being able to pull off the crucial points, though a 10-4 lead at the start helped much.

Using the cushioning of that early advantage, Prannoy would patiently work Wardoyo around, even as his defence stayed steady. The Indonesian clicked increased the pace of his strokes and added more intensity to his court movement. It’s here that the composed Prannoy defence and all that pickled experience of how to play the key moments came to the fore.

HS Prannoy in action. (File)

Next up, Prannoy will take on Japanese new star Kodai Naraoka, who packed off home favourite Lee Zii Jia in Round 1. But it was his win on Thursday that marked him out as the dangerous opponent who’s ruffling a fair few reputations. He’s already given Axelsen a mighty headache at the last event they met, and his speed has tripped up Prannoy twice.

At Axiata, playing local hope NG Tze, Naraoka was match points down in the second game before making a cool comeback and forcing a decider. He got into NG Tze’s head in such a way that the Malaysian was left in muted sobs, stunned by the reversal. It was a mix of speed and cold gleaming accuracy at the crunch that helped Naraoka first chomp into the match points and then repeatedly sow doubts in the Malaysian’s mind, while he went whizzing around the front court, collecting points at the pace of a rapper’s rhyme. He’s Momota on fast forward, without the aura as of now.

Expect the age-agnostic solution-finder Prannoy though to find answers to all manners of questions – the polite tosses, the impatient net dribbles, impertinent slice drops or imperious mega smashes. And then ask some of his own counters.

Prannoy Vs New Kids on the block

Vs Lakshya Sen 3-3

Vs Kodai Naraoka 0-2

Vs Loh Kean Yew 3-1

Vs Kunlavut Vitidsarn 0-0

Vs NG Tze Yong 0-0

Satwik-Chirag beat All England champs

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty handed All England champs Bagas Maulana and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri their third loss in the last year, winning 21-19, 22-20 to make the quarters of the Super 1000. There were a few end-game stutters as the Indians allowed two match points to drift away after comfortably leading for most part. But they bounded right back with deft defence to set up a last-8 clash with Chinese Liu Yu Chen and Ou Xuan Yi.

The relatively new Chinese pairing has been on a roll, winning the World Tour Finals. On Thursday, they ousted world champions Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik 21-10, 23-21.