Taipei Open 2023 badminton: Indian challenge ends with HS Prannoy’s exit

Indian badminton player HS Prannoy bowed out of the Taipei Open 2023 after losing in the men’s singles quarter-finals on Friday.

HS Prannoy, ninth in the world badminton rankings, lost 21-19, 21-8 to Hong Kong’s world No. 16 Ng Ka Long Angus in the quarters.

Playing at the Tian-Mu Arena, the third-seeded HS Prannoy found his footing quickly and raced to a 5-2 lead. Ng Ka Long Angus, however, rallied to make it 5-all. As the match progressed, both shuttlers battled to gain the upper hand. With the scores tied at 19-all, Ng Ka Long Angus won two consecutive points to take the lead.

In the second game, HS Prannoy trailed 8-2 going into the mid-game break. Ng Ka Long Angus remained in control as the Indian badminton player failed to match his opponent’s intensity. The Hong Kong shuttler wrapped up the match in 38 minutes.

This was HS Prannoy’s sixth loss against Ng Ka Long Angus in 12 meetings. In their last meeting, HS Prannoy beat Ng Ka Long Angus 21-18, 21-16 on the way to the semi-finals of the Indonesian Open 2023. The 30-year-old HS Prannoy won the Malaysia Masters back in May. 

With HS Prannoy’s exit, it was curtains for the Indian challenge in the BWF Super 300 tournament. India’s Tanya Hemanth lost to world No. 4 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics silver medallist Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei in the women’s singles pre-quarterfinals on Thursday to end India’s run in the category.

The Indian shuttlers will be in action next at the Canada Open. The BWF Super 500 tournament will be held in Calgary from July 4 to 9.