Worlds: Prannoy outplays Axelsen to make last-four

World No. 9 defeats the reigning world champion in quarters to ensure first medal at BWF World C'ships

- Sandip Sikdar

Thirteen thousand people had turned up the Royal Arena in Copenhagen to witness their local stars, especially Viktor Axelsen, to come out victorious on Friday. Perhaps the finest shuttler of the current generation, Axelsen is the benchmark in men's badminton.

The reigning world and Olympic champion, world No. 1 and top seed, the 29-year-old was the favourite to lift his third world title, that too in front of his adoring Danish crowd, who were vociferously backing the six-foot four-inch tall shuttler against HS Prannoy from India.

The men's singles quarter-final started according to the wishes of the Danes with the defending champion winning the first game to take control of the match. But there was a twist in the plot as Prannoy staged a sensational comeback to stun the crowd by beating Axelsen and causing the biggest upset of the tournament.

The ninth seeded Prannoy won 13-21, 21-15, 21-16 in a contest that lasted an hour and eight minutes to pick up his third win in 10 meetings against the reigning Olympic champion. By doing so, the 31-year-old entered the semi-finals to assure himself of his first-ever medal at the World Championships.