Prannoy bows out of Worlds after draining loss to world No. 2 Antonsen 

Indian shuttler HS Prannoy came agonisingly close to pulling off a major upset before bowing out of the BWF World Championships with a gruelling second-round loss to world No. 2 Anders Antonsen of Denmark.

The 2023 bronze-medallist fought for nearly an hour and 30 minutes before going down 8-21, 21-17, 21-23 despite holding two match points on Wednesday night.

“Played a few bad shots towards the end. I should have kept a little more energy and tried to be on the attacking side. In the last 3-4 points, I felt he was on the attack and I gave him a few easy smashes that probably changed the game.”

“I should have taken a few more chances at the net and played patiently,” Prannoy said after the loss.

Ranked 34^th in the world, Prannoy bounced back after a sub-par opening game to force a decider. Armed with momentum after winning the second, he continued to push Antonsen to the brink but crucial errors cost him dearly.

“Losing match points always hurts, especially in big events. One match can change the course of a tournament. Beating somebody in form gives you a lot of confidence, but if you are on the other side it takes your entire effort away and you start doubting yourself again.”

“I really didn’t want to be in that situation,” he added.

The 2022 Thomas Cup winner, who is also a world and Asian Games bronze-medallist, has been plagued by a series of health setbacks in recent years.

He battled a chronic stomach disorder, a nagging back injury and even contracted chikungunya right before the Paris Olympics. The 33-year-old had taken a break after the Games.

Opening up on his fitness struggles, Prannoy said: “I’ve been trying to constantly improve on that front. Game-wise I’m there, I can still play a couple of years more, but fitness-wise I’m not able to keep up with these youngsters.”

“The pace is too high and sometimes the body doesn’t react as I want it to. It’s a tad slower. That’s part and parcel of the game — the sport is fast and explosive.”

Looking ahead, Prannoy hinted at one final World Championship appearance before his body forces him to take a harder call on his career.

“Probably one more. You want to push for a couple more years, but maximum would be one, and that too if I stretch really hard,” he said.