Men’s team enters maiden final with 3-2 win over South Korea
(Photo: Hangzhou2022.cn)
Spearheaded by HS Prannoy, Lakshya Sen and Kidambi Srikanth, India created history by defeating Korea 3-2 in the semi-finals of the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China on Saturday.
Former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth won the tie for India in the fifth match after world championships medalists Prannoy and Lakshya Sen put India in the lead with wins in their respective matches.
Doubles teams of Chirag Shetty-Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Dhruv Kapila-MR Arjun failed to register wins at BJ Gymnasium.
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The 3-2 win sets up India’s tie against the hosts China on Sunday. It will be India’s first time in the final while the Chinese will be gunning for their sixth gold medal.
Against South Korea, Prannoy got India off to a winning start with an 18-21, 21-16, 21-19 victory over Hyeokjin Jeon.
Prannoy, a bronze medal winner at this year’s BWF world championships and India’s top-ranked player at world No. 7, bounced back from a game down against the world No. 47 Korean.
Doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy stepped onto the badminton court next to build on India’s initial lead.
However, the world No. 3 pair was handed a setback as Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae, the world champions who are ranked one place below the Indians, clinched the match 21-13, 26-24.
Commonwealth Games champion and world No. 14,Lakshya Sen, restored the slender lead with a comfortable 21-9, 21-8 win over world No. 119 Yun Gyu Lee.
However, South Korea erased India’s advantage after the doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and MR Arjun, 42nd in the badminton rankings, lost to world No. 49 duo of Wonho Kim and NA Sungseung 21-16, 21-11.
World No. 21 Kidambi Srikanth, who has not had the best of 2023 so far, shouldered the responsibility in the do-or-die contest and delivered the result for India with a 12-21, 21-16, 21-14 win over world No. 163 Geonyeop Cho.
India the reigning Thomas Cup champions and will enter the final with experience of playing pressure matches under their belt.
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