Prannoy’s dream run ends, Wins bronze at BWF World Championship

India's ace shuttler HS Prannoy’s dream at the BWF World Championship came to an end after he lost to world no.three Kunlavut Vitidsarn in Copenhagen on Saturday, in a thrilling three-game semifinal. Prannoy won the bronze medal, his first.

Prannoy, playing his first Worlds semifinal, had started much the stronger of the two, but a Vitidsarn fight back in the early stages of the second game saw him seize control; and he never let go from then. Towards the end, fatigue seemed to be getting at Prannoy as Vitidsarn made him run across the court at will.

The first game had started with a display of the most potent weapons in the players' arsenals. Prannoy's incredible down-the-line jump smash winning him the first point, Vitidsarn's wrists of magic whipping up two disguised drops that made it 2-2.

Prannoy came out flying in the second game and raced to a 4-0 lead with a series of un-returnable smashes that kissed the margins. At 5-1, though, something clicked for Vitidsarn and he started clawing his way back into the game.

Prannoy, himself coming off a roaring comeback win against the great Viktor Axelsen, started the final game slow and that was it. Vitidsarn raced into a 6-2 lead before being pegged back to 8-7. Prannoy's aggression, though, wore off soon as Vitidsarn took a 11-7 lead into the break. From then it was a matter of routine.

There were some deft touches from Prannoy in there - including a sensational drop where he chopped at the shuttle and it dropped on the other side, kissing the net in un-returnable fashion. But these glimpses of magic were too far and few in between.

Vitidsarn's disguised drops (variations of them, including one backhand no-look crosscourt) and incredible defence meant Prannoy couldn't get a foothold back into the game.