Lack of aggression in attack costs world No. 2 Momota

TOKYO • Home favourite and world No. 2 Kento Momota admitted he was not aggressive enough after a shock early exit from the Badminton World Championships yesterday, following a loss to India's H. S. Prannoy in the second round.

The two-time world champion in 2018 and 2019 was far from his best in Tokyo and world No. 18 Prannoy took full advantage, snatching a 21-17, 21-16 victory in 54 minutes.

"I was too scared of making mistakes and was not aggressive enough in my attacking," said the 27-year-old Momota, as quoted by Malaysia's The Star newspaper.

"It's not about my opponent's performance today but my game that didn't go well.

"It's not like I am not doing well in training. I just need to perform in tournaments like I do in training. Physically, I don't have any problems."

Prannoy will go on to face Commonwealth Games gold medallist Lakshya Sen - who beat Spain's Luis Penalver 21-17, 21-10 - in an all-Indian third-round clash today.

"I knew I had to be disciplined against him, it is tough to play against someone who has played at the highest levels of badminton," said Prannoy of Momota.

"I just needed to pace my game well and know which points to push for and which to play safe."

As the two Indians prepare for battle, their compatriot, Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Kidambi Srikanth, was stunned by unseeded Chinese Zhao Junpeng earlier yesterday.

Twelfth seed Srikanth, the silver medallist at last year's world championships, lost 21-9, 21-17, with his second-game comeback falling away at the finish.

Srikanth, part of India's Thomas Cup-winning team in May, said he "could have maybe played better" but was not as clinical as Zhao.

"He just played well when it really mattered," said the former world No. 1. "I had my chances in the second set and if I could have won it, anything could have happened in the third set."

Zhao will next face Malaysian ace Lee Zii Jia - who beat Portugal's Bernardo Atilano 21-9, 21-13 - for a place in the quarter-finals.

The winner will then face either Prannoy or Sen.

In the women's draw, world No. 2 Tai Tzu-ying of Chinese Taipei clinched a straightforward 21-9, 21-12 second-round victory over Slovak Martina Repiska.

THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

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