This story is from August 21, 2019

You can't have just one strategy when you play Lin Dan: HS Prannoy

HS Prannoy, 27-year-old Indian shuttler, who is unseeded in the badminton World Championships, defeated Lin Dan 21-11, 13-21, 21-7 in a mouth-watering clash in an hour and two minutes. Talking to TOI, Prannoy said, “You can’t have one strategy when you go up against him (Lin Dan)", he added, “I was making him guess in every point. That’s the one plan I had."
You can't have just one strategy when you play Lin Dan: HS Prannoy
HS Prannoy (Reuters Photo)
Key Highlights
  • The unseeded Prannoy defeated Chinese legend Lin Dan 21-11, 13-21, 21-7 at the BWF World Championships on Tuesday
  • In head to head, Prannoy has now met Lin Dan five times and emerged victorious thrice
  • Lin Dan has seven World Championships medals under his belt (five gold and two silver)
NEW DELHI: Most people would say HS Prannoy’s massive win against two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan in the ongoing badminton World Championships on Tuesday was an upset. However, the 27-year-old Indian shuttler had planned his strategy with meticulous detail to beat the 35-year-old Chinese legend, who has won as many as five World Championships gold medals.
Prannoy, who is unseeded in the mega tournament, defeated Lin Dan 21-11, 13-21, 21-7 in a mouth-watering clash in an hour and two minutes.

So what was the strategy exactly?
“I can’t talk about it very openly. Let’s keep it a secret (laughs),” said Prannoy, beginning the conversation with Timesofindia.com from Basel, Switzerland.
“You can’t have one strategy when you go up against him (Lin Dan). You need to have multiple choices. I also had (those). So, I used those in a correct way and most importantly at the correct moments,” Prannoy said.
“I was making him guess in every point. That’s the one plan I had,” the Indian shuttler said.
As per the head-to-head records, Prannoy has now met the Chinese star shuttler five times and emerged victorious thrice.

“We all have been watching him (Lin Dan) for the last 20 years. I have been watching him closely too. He is a player who is technically very sound. He can adapt to any condition and get the things right. He can make you work so much on the court,” Prannoy told TimesofIndia.com.
“This was my third win against him. I have kept on changing my strategies against him. I did (that) in this match too. If you watch the footage of the match, you will hardly see me making eye-contact with him,” the 27-year-old said.
The opening game witnessed sheer dominance from Prannoy. The Indian shuttler pocketed it with ease by winning 21-11.
Lin, who has seven World Championships medals under his belt (five gold and two silver), made a solid comeback in the second game. The 35-year-old won 21-13 and took the match into the deciding game.
The third game saw a different Prannoy altogether. The 27-year-old kept his calm and played a solid brand of badminton, with great court coverage. The scoreline of the final game said it all, 21-7. However, it was not really a cakewalk for Prannoy.
“The third game looked easier but it was full of planning and strategies. The first eleven (points) were too crucial. I wanted to take the lead in the first half of the third game,” Prannoy said.
“In such a big competition, it is very important to get the start right. You need to sit and plan ahead of a big tournament and that too when you are up against a big player like Lin Dan. Honestly, the draw was really tough,” he added.
“He (Lin Dan) is actually very good when it comes to big tournaments. But, yeah, today was my day”, the Indian shuttler told TimesofIndia.com.
Prannoy's next match will also be a tough one. He will now play world No. 1 and top seed Kento Momota of Japan in the pre-quarterfinals, who defeated Luis Enrique Penalver of Spain 21-10, 21-7 in the second round.
“The journey is going to be tougher now. I will be facing Kento Momota now. It is going to be tough. I just want to go and enjoy the atmosphere and play the way I did against Lin Dan,” Prannoy signed off.
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