WATCH | Priyanshu Rajawat engages in rally of a lifetime in Orleans Masters semis

04/09/2023

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India shuttler Priyanshu Rajawat literally cruised into the finals of the Orleans Masters on Saturday, after he beat world no.35 Naht Nguyen of Ireland in straight games. The Indian, who was a part of the Thomas Cup winning team in 2022, beat the 28-year-old 21-12, 21-9 in a lop-sided match.

Now Rajawat will be up against Denmark’s Magnus Johannesen on Sunday. But in his semifinal clash, he displayed a game that any top player in the world would be proud of, despite his ranking. Entering the tournament as a qualifier, he played some exceptional rallies that wowed the crowds present at the venue.

There was one particular rally where both the players ended up stretching each to their limits, but eventually, Rajawat ended up winning the point after 43 shots. Not only did he play some attacking shots in the rally, but showed commendable defence as well, diving around the court twice.

Such was his dominance throughout the match that in the first game, he raced from 11-9 to 21-12 in no time. Come the second game, he was unstoppable and led 18-3 at one point in the second game.