Prannoy sails into Indonesia Open semis

JAKARTA: HS Prannoy sailed into the Indonesia Open Super 1000 semi-finals with a straight-game win over World No.13 Rasmus Gemke of Denmark here on Friday.

A little over a month after his heroic win over Gemke in the decisive fifth match against Denmark, which ensured India’s entry into the Thomas Cup final, Prannoy produced yet another finely-crafted performance to outwit his rival 21-14, 21-12 in a 40-minute quarter-final clash. With the victory, World No.23 Prannoy has reached his second semi-final at the Indonesia Open, where he will meet China’s Zhao Jun Peng.

The Indian had previously reached the last-four in the 2017 edition. Coming into the match with a 2-2 head-to-head count, Prannoy did not put a foot wrong as he played angled cross-court shots and reverse slices to good effect.

The last-eight match saw short rallies with Gemke bothered by a knee issue. Prannoy waited for his opponent to make mistakes and unleashed his attacking returns whenever there was an opportunity. Prannoy galloped to a 5-0 lead in the opener before entering the break with a 11-7 cushion. He kept things under check to lead the first game throughout.

In the end, a service fault handed the Indian six game point opportunities and Prannoy sealed the opener on the first attempt with a smash on his rival’s forehand corner. The first half of the second game was a roller-coaster ride as Gemke produced a superb fightback. He started moving well and clawed back to 6-6 with a smash after lagging 3-6 behind.

While Prannoy kept the pressure on his opponent, Gemke again drew parity – at 9-9 – with a prompt net shot. However, the Indian ensured a two-point advantage at the interval. Prannoy continued to dominate the rallies after the break as his precise returns on his rival’s forehand and backhand earned him points. A similar shot took the Indian to eight match points and he sealed the contest when Gemke’s return hit the net.