Badminton News: Senior player HS Prannoy of India beat China’s Weng Hong Yang 21-19, 13-21 and 21-18 in the Malaysia Masters 2023 final in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday to win his first BWF World title Round.

Head to head for the first time, HS Prannoy and Weng had a fierce battle in the opener, with the former leading a narrow 11-10 in the interval.

Prannoy made the first move with a 15-12 lead before the Chinese southpaw snatched three straight points and equalized. The Indian athlete, however, kept his forehand and regained his advantage. He won two match points and needed both to finish at 21-19.

The young Chinese badminton player responded quickly in the second game. As the tussle continued early on, Weng rallied in the closing stages of the game to earn seven game points and ultimately close the match.

As the battle moved into its third game, the rallies grew longer and the points more intense. Once again, Prannoy led 11-10, having come back from 5-7 earlier. Prannoy opened a three-point lead twice after the break in the final game, at 14-11, 16-13, but let his opponent fall back.

With a narrow 17-16 advantage, Prannoy won a point with a forehand winner. However, two consecutive unforced errors allowed Weng to equalize at 18-18. The world No.9’s persistence with all-out attacks paid off when two forehands to each side earned him two championship points. Prannoy was able to convert at the first request for his first World Tour title.

The Malaysia Masters is the premier tournament for Road to Paris and Paris 2024 Olympics qualifying points.

Article Tags: HS Prannoy, Weng Hong Yang, Malaysia Masters 2023