Ace Indian shuttler HS Prannoy registered an upset as he got the better of defending champion and home favourite Viktor Axelsen on Friday to reach the final four of the tournament in Copenhagen.
The Indian registered a 13-21, 21-15, 21-16 come-from-behind win over Viktor Axelsen to book a semis berth and ensure a medal in Denmark.
The tie was off to a shaky start for the 31-year-old who conceded a 13-21 defeat to the top-rated player on his home turf, but few would have expected what was about to transpire next.
Prannoy took the fixture by the scruff of the neck in the second game as he coasted to a lead and held onto it to see the game out 21-15 to restore parity in the tie and send the result into a deciding third set.
The final set started off with both players going back and forth. But, Prannoy then switched into a different gear as the Indian swung himself at Axelsen’s every return to claw his way to a comfortable 11-5 lead.
The match was far from over for the World No. 1 Axelsen though, who went on a rampage to take control yet again as he menaced Prannoy with a flurry of smashes to cut the lead down to a mere 3-point difference at 14-11.
But, Prannoy was determined to get through the finish line and willed himself to never let Axelsen close the gap.
A flurry of misplaced shots followed from both ends, keeping the match close as it neared a nervy finish.
In the end, the Indian pulled off the major upset as he forced Axelson to foul on his last point and watched the cork fall out of bounds slowly to put away the Dane 21-16 in the deciding set to advance to the semi-finals of the World Championships, thereby confirming a medal for India at the prestigious event in Copenhagen.
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