HS Prannoy Advances to Round of 16 Amid Rain Delays at Malaysia Open

India’s HS Prannoy overcame a series of interruptions and a determined Brian Yang of Canada to secure his spot in the Round of 16 at the Malaysia Open. The Round of 32 match, which began on Tuesday, faced repeated delays due to water leaking from the roof before concluding on Wednesday with Prannoy triumphing 21-12, 17-21, 21-15.  

The disruption began during the second game when water started dripping onto the court, forcing officials to suspend play. Yang was leading 11-9 in the second game when the match was paused. After a delay of over an hour, play resumed briefly, only to be halted again as the leak persisted. Officials decided to carry forward the unfinished match to Wednesday, with the score at 21-12, 9-11.  

Despite the interruption and conceding the second game to Yang, Prannoy demonstrated resilience in the decider, pulling through with a confident 21-15 finish. The win sets up a challenging Round of 16 clash against China’s Shi Feng Li, who earlier defeated India’s Priyanshu Rajawat in straight games, 21-11, 21-16.  

In other Indian performances on Wednesday, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto secured a convincing victory in mixed doubles. The duo defeated South Korea’s Sung Hyun Ko and Hye Won Eom 21-13, 21-14 to advance to the Round of 16, where they will face China’s Xing Cheng and Chi Zhang.  

Meanwhile, in women’s doubles, the Panda sisters, Rutaparna and Swetaparna, faced a tough challenge from Thailand’s Benyapa and Nuntakarn Aimsaard. The Indian pair fell 17-21, 10-21, exiting the tournament.  

Prannoy remains India’s best hope in the singles competition, with his form and experience giving him an edge in the next round. However, Shi Feng Li will pose a formidable challenge.