HS Prannoy at Paris Olympics 2024 Highlights: HS Prannoy comes back brilliantly to beat Le Duc Phat, and qualifies for the Ro16, where he'll go up against Lakshya Sen. Follow Sportskeeda for live updates on HS Prannoy at the Paris Olympics 2024
00:17 (IST)1 AUG 2024
That's all we have from the coverage of this Men's Singles match. However, there's plenty of action from the Indian contingent remaining for the day. Switch tabs and stay tuned to Sportskeeda to get all the live updates from those encounters!
It's official! HS Prannoy will take on Lakshya Sen in the Round of 16 clash in the Men's Singles event after a hard-fought win over Le Duc Phat in his final group-stage encounter.
He was made to work for his win, though, and Vietnam's Le Duc Phat deserves enormous credit for the way he played in this Group K encounter. He kept Prannoy on the back foot through the first set, exploiting the space the Indian left behind him, and working him across the court brilliantly.
However, after going down in the first set, Prannoy dug deep, and sacrificed a bit of his aggression for control, and once he got a solid lead, Le DP started making errors before ultimately running out of steam as Prannoy took complete control of both the 2nd and 3rd games, especially post the break.
It's a win that showed great character and resilience on HS Prannoy's part, and that'll do him a world of good ahead of what is a much-anticipated Round of 16 showdown with his compatriot Lakshya Sen tomorrow!
Le Duc Phat doesn't really have a choice other than to force the game, and while he does have a lot of variety in his shots, this game has been extremely demanding, and he's unable to avoid the errors that keep on coming.
Prannoy gets to match point after another comfortable rally, and he wins it after a net error from Le Duc Phat!
What a win that is for HS Prannoy. That took so much character. That was a wonderful comeback!
Prannoy is pulling well clear here, and while Le DP is getting the odd point, he isn't able to match the intensity of Prannoy's game like he did in the 1st Set, and his composure from that set is certainly lacking here.
Prannoy, meanwhile, appears to be thriving under pressure, and he has simply gotten better with every set. He's cruising here, and takes an 8-point lead with a well-disguised fore-hand cross-court.
Ohh, great point from Prannoy. Places the backhand drop shot just over the net, and he does that a fraction early to ensure that Le Duc Phat was never getting to that. He adds to that with a trademark reverse backhand smash, and just like that, he's up by 5 points!
Prannoy gets the upper hand in a couple of flat exchanges to take an 11-8 lead into the interval of the 3rd set.
Le DP refused to give up in this 3rd set, but it appears that he is running out of steam here, and his attempts to be aggressive, while yielding him points, has also resulted in an unhealthy amount of errors.
Both shuttlers trading points now, and while the error count has gone up, it is a very evenly matched deciding set we're witnessing here!
Ohh what a point that is for Prannoy! Le Duc Phat threw everything he had at him in that rally, but Prannoy exhibited tremendous defense to stay in the rally, and ultimately forced the error from his opponent. That's a big moment in this set for sure!
Ohh Prannoy bails himself out of a tricky spot by going long and high, baiting Le DP into playing the smash, and the latter simply can't afford to get it wrong when going down the line, but unfortunately for him, it goes wide.
He follows it up with a terrific winner, however, and despite making plenty of errors, Le DP is back on level terms with Prannoy!
Le Duc Phat's shot selection needs to be on point in this 3rd set, and he shows a good example of that with a well-placed cross-court winner. However, he keeps making some unforced errors along with those points, and as a result, Prannoy has the upper hand.
Trailing 3-5, Le Duc Phat challenges an Out decision that goes against him, and it's unsuccessful, but wait, that looks like it is Out and Le DP should be getting the point!
That's wonderful sportsmanship from Prannoy as he points that out to the umpire, who does reverse his decision. It's a point to Le DP and he retains his challenge.
And the errors continue from Le DP, and the composure we saw in the first set has slowly fizzled out. He starts off with a couple of errors, and is seeming a bit over-aggressive, with Prannoy looking comfortable playing defense and waiting for the right time to play the attacking shot.
Prannoy looks in control now, and it appears that the roles have been reversed from the 1st Set.
Brilliant smash down the line from HS Prannoy! He has got that shot right every time today, and it gives him a 7-point lead. Make that 8, make that 9! He's taken the set now!
Prannoy has absolutely taken control in the 2nd half of this set, and as his lead rose, so did the pressure on Le Duc Phat, and while the Vietnamese showed moments of brilliance, he made far too many errors under pressure, and right now, all the momentum is with the Indian!
The final set coming up. Can Prannoy complete the comeback?
He's much faster across the court than Prannoy, is Le DP, and he caps off a brilliant rally with a razor-sharp finish close to the net. However, he's caught in two minds on whether to leave a long backhand from Prannoy, and his indecision results in a net error.
Prannoy with a steady 5-point lead, and he'll want to close this game out soon.
Once again, that long backhand from Le DP troubles Prannoy as it just lands within the end-line, but just like Le did in the first set, Prannoy ensuring that his opponent can't score more than one point in a row here.
The pressure seems to be getting to Le Duc Phat here, and his error rate has shot up in this 2nd set, and Prannoy leads by 5 now!
Prannoy has got all the power and precision, but Le DP is putting on a masterclass on maneuvering his opponent across the court here. Prannoy hasn't really looked at ease at any point during this match, and while his attacking shots have him in the lead so far, he hasn't really been able to break away.
Well, scratch that, as an error from Le DP and a wonderful net shot from Prannoy helps him break free and take a 4-point lead, and hit the 11-point mark first! He needed that, did Prannoy, and now he has the upper hand.
When he's on the attack, he's a treat to watch is HS Prannoy! His power doesn't compromise on his accuracy one bit, and that's a really tough smash down the line executed to perfection.
He is still leading, but Le Duc Phat ensures that he doesn't slip out of reach, and he's exploiting that space Prannoy is leaving behind to perfection.
HS Prannoy looking much more comfortable in this 2nd set, and that early lead is helping. He looks much quicker moving across the court now, but it's not enough to get to the end of that powerful smash down the line from Le DP.
The Vietnamese is making sure that Prannoy is feeling the pressure here.
Ideal start for Prannoy as he takes a 3-0 lead. Le DP yet to find his radar after the switch of sides, but Prannoy seems more confident, as he shows with his strong smash across Le DP's forehand. Make that 4-0 as Le DP tries an ambitious shot across the line that just goes a bit wide.
Well, his convincing win against Fabian Roth was a warning sign, and Le DP has certainly taken HS Prannoy by surprise here, winning the first set rather comfortably.
An error playing an attacking shot from Prannoy concedes the set to Le Duc Phat, and the truth is, the latter has completely controlled the flow of this match, and while Prannoy did show good energy and offensive ability at moments, he was mostly reacting to Le DP dictating play throughout the first set.
He needs to switch up his game a bit because at the moment, Le DP is looking really hard to beat!
Oh, what a quick backhand that was! Le DP is 3 points away from taking the first set, and he has looked immensely good today. He has constantly kept Prannoy guessing throughout this first set.
After making a tame net error, he makes up for it with a well-placed cross-court smash to Prannoy's forehand, and he's up 19-16 now.
Ohh, what was that from Le DP? A late, late call to play at that long backhand from Prannoy, and that results in a tame return and an easy point. Prannoy finds a way back after that point.
He's really gone on the offensive after that point, and despite being forced into making an error by Le DP once, he wins that passage of play, getting back to within one point of Le DP.
Le DP has made great use of Prannoy's positioning closer to the net, and has won quite a few points with a backhand push close to the end-line, testing and toying with Prannoy's judgment. Even as the Indian pulls one back with a powerful cross-court smash, Le is ensuring Prannoy isn't able to string any momentum together.
He's well on course to take the first set at this pace.
That's one way to do it from HS Prannoy! He goes on the attack right off the bat, finishing the point off with a powerful smash. However Le Duc Phat maneuvers the court beautifully to send Prannoy scrambling, forcing a false shot from him, and regains his 2-point lead.
He's looking better and better with every passing point here, is Le DP, and is really working Prannoy here, this time mixing up his shots really well before delivering a killer forehand smash. A 3-point lead for him now.
Well, well, a couple of soft unforced net errors from Prannoy provides Le DP the opportunity to hit the 11-point mark first, and he takes it with a very well-placed backhand push past Prannoy.
Halfway through to the first set, and Prannoy trails 9 - 11, and he'll have to cut those errors out of his game if he wants to catch up to Le DP, who looks like a formidable opponent!
Ohh what a wonderful rally that was! This time Le DP goes on the attack with some fierce smashes, but Prannoy is equal to it with stellar defensive work, but a net error ends up costing him the point and the scores are level at 8-8.
Some high-quality badminton we're witnessing here!
Unlike his first match, Prannoy is going on the offensive right from the start, and it's paying off. However, Le Duc Phat is looking extremely confident as well, and he scores a delectable backhand drop shot to bring the score to 6-7.
Woah, that's a wonderfully deft drop shot from Prannoy to score his 2nd point. He might be taking his time to adjust to the drift and wind, but he's completely on top of his game today.
And wow, he's done it again! Another stunning piece of deception from the Indian shuttler, placing the backhand return long and completely beyond Le Duc Phat's reach to take the lead. However, Le DP hits back immediately with a series of smashes, which despite Prannoy's solid reflexes, he can't fend off.
Le Duc Phat starts confidently and emphatically, taking a 2-point lead in a trice. He's really quick and forces Prannoy into a weak return before placing a cross-court smash towards Prannoy's backhand.
However, Prannoy seems completely up for it too, and goes on the front foot with a couple of smashes to earn his first point
23:03 (IST)31 JUL 2024
Alright then, Le Duc Phat will start us off. For a place in the Round of 16, here we go!
22:59 (IST)31 JUL 2024
Both shuttlers are on the court for the toss, and we should be starting in few minutes. They're doing their warm-ups now.
22:49 (IST)31 JUL 2024
HS Prannoy will have to get past a spirited Le Duc Phat to make it to the Round of 16. Here's all you need to know about the Vietnamese shuttler:
With qualification for the Round of 16 on the line and two quality shuttlers going up against each other for that prize, we are in for one cracker of a contest.
So stay tuned to Sportskeeda as we take you through all the live action from this all-important clash.
22:42 (IST)31 JUL 2024
While HS Prannoy might seem the favorite on paper, especially based on his rankings, his opponent isn't likely to make things any easy for him. In fact, Le Duc Phat beat Fabian Roth by an even better margin than Prannoy did, winning 21-10, 21-10, in straight sets, and in that kind of form, he's sure to pose a real threat to the Indian.
22:40 (IST)31 JUL 2024
HS Prannoy got off to a solid start in the Paris 2024 Olympics, beating Germany's Fabian Roth in straight sets in his first group-stage match in Group K.
He now faces off against World Rank 70, Le Duc Phat, from Vietnam, with the winner of this match sealing their place in the Round of 16, where they'll be going up against none other than Lakshya Sen.
22:38 (IST)31 JUL 2024
Hello and welcome to Sportskeeda's coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
After Lakshya Sen's stellar win against the current World No. 4 Jonatan Christie, India will be hoping for more success in the Men's Singles Badminton event from their highest-ranked shuttler, HS Prannoy, as he takes on Vietnam's Le Duc Phat in the final match of Group K at 11:00 pm IST.
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