Malaysia Masters 2023HS Prannoy enters final after opponent retires mid-game

By India Today Sports DeskStar Indian shuttler HS Prannoy stormed into the Malaysia Masters men’s singles final after his opponent, Christian Adinata of Indonesia, withdrew from the semifinal match due to a nasty knee injury on Saturday. Adinata was leading 19-17 when he lost his footing while landing after a jump return and his left knee buckled, leaving the Indonesian shuttler in pain.

Adinata, a World Junior Championships winner in 2019, was quickly attended to by Prannoy and the Indonesian coach before being wheeled off the court. Prannoy will now face the winner of the other semifinal match on Sunday between China’s Weng Hong Yang and Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-Yi.

It will be Prannoy’s first final of the season and his second since finishing second at the Swiss Open last year. P V Sindhu, a double Olympic medalist, could not advance to the women’s singles finals after losing 14-21,17-21 to Indonesia’s Gregoria Mariska Tunjung. Sindhu’s loss was her second in a row after seven wins against the tricky world number 9 Indonesian.

It was a one-way road for Prannoy, who got off to a flying start, jumping out to an 11-1 lead in a flash. However, after the break, it was Aditana who piled on the points, taking seven of the next nine. A jump cross-court smash helped Prannoy regain his confidence, but unforced errors and Adinata’s smart shots saw the Indonesian take the lead 10-14.

Adinata’s returns were quick, and he hit a few cross-court winners and a body smash. He made it 14-15 with an on-the-line return on the backline before drawing even at 16-16 when Prannoy went wide again. Prannoy dominated the next few minutes to take a 19-17 lead before the match was called off due to Adinata’s injury.