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B Sai Praneeth loses hard-fought New Zealand Open badminton semi-final

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByHT Correspondent
May 05, 2018 09:32 AM IST

B Sai Praneeth lost 14-21, 21-19, 21-8 vs second seed Jonatan Christie in the New Zealand Open badminton men’s singles semi-final in Auckland on Saturday.

B Sai Praneeth succumbed to a hard-fought loss vs second seed Jonatan Christie in a match that lasted over an hour at the New Zealand Open badminton men’s singles semi-final in Auckland on Saturday.

B Sai Praneeth lost 14-21, 21-19, 21-8 vs second seed Jonatan Christie in the New Zealand Open badminton men’s singles semi-final in Auckland on Saturday.(AFP)
B Sai Praneeth lost 14-21, 21-19, 21-8 vs second seed Jonatan Christie in the New Zealand Open badminton men’s singles semi-final in Auckland on Saturday.(AFP)

Sai Praneeth, who was the only remaining Indian with a chance of winning the title, lost 14-21, 21-19, 21-8 in a match that will have him wondering what could have been.

The Indian, who was seeded third for this tournament, won the first game comfortably and was leading the second game, at one point looking likely to cruise into the finals of the tournament.

But Christie fought back, eventually winning two straight points when the score was tied at 19-19 to win the second game and force the match into a deciding third game.

Praneeth never looked likely to get going in the third game, which was absolutely dominated by Christie, who won it 21-8 to enter the final.

Christie will now face the winner of the other semi-final between China’s Lin Dan and South Korea’s Heo Kwang Hee.

Stay updated with the latest sports news, including latest headlines and updates from the Olympics 2024, where Indian athletes will compete for glory in Paris. Catch all the action from tennis Grand Slam tournaments, follow your favourite football teams and players with the latest match results, and get the latest on international hockey tournaments and series.
Stay updated with the latest sports news, including latest headlines and updates from the Olympics 2024, where Indian athletes will compete for glory in Paris. Catch all the action from tennis Grand Slam tournaments, follow your favourite football teams and players with the latest match results, and get the latest on international hockey tournaments and series.
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