Between Olympics and All England final, I would choose All England: HS Prannoy

When all the focus in the men’s singles at the just-concluded All England Championships was on world No. 2 Kidambi Srikanth, the 16th-ranked HS Prannoy quietly slipped into the quarterfinals. In producing his best show at All England in four attempts, the 25-year-old emerged the best male Indian, losing to 42nd ranked Chinese Huang Yuxiang in three games in an hour and 17 minutes. Prannoy tells G Krishnan about his All England journey, his liking towards the Birmingham Super 1000 tournament and the difficult days in the build up to it in this exclusive chat from Birmingham. Excerpts:

How would you describe your 2018 All England journey?

I was initially doubtful if I would play the All England because of foot corn (that stopped his India Open in Delhi in the first round). Fifteen days prior to the All England, I started playing on court. I was not sure if I would go to come for All England. I was paining when I was playing on the court but got better over the days. Probably once I landed here, I felt better with the body. The first round against Chinese Taipei's Chou Tien Chen (8th seed) was very crucial. In the first set, I could not get used to the court and the conditions. (He lost first game 9-21). I had not played any competitive match (after first round loss in India Open on January 31) in last two month. I was pretty confused. In the second and third games, I started to put more effort and that paid off against Chou Tien Chen. The pre-quarters (against Tommy Sugiarto of Indonesia) was easier. It became close, but I was very much in control of the game. In the quarterfinals, I played well but strained my left groin in the second game. From then on, movement on the court became a bit slow. I had a very good lead in the third game – 15-9 and 19-17 – but could not really finish it off. Huang was much more steadier towards the end. I was trying to finish a little more quickly than I should have been.

Playing badminton all your life, you said you had doubts before the tournament. What kind of doubts?

After so many days of not entering the court, not having match practice, it is easier getting into the court in a smaller tournament, where the opponents are not top class and you have room for errors and still get back in the game. But in All England, it is not the case. The pace is high, your strategy needs to be on the dot. Doubts like 'will I be able to move', 'will I be able to match the pace', strategy, whether to attack or defend cross the mind. You start to think a lot and things don't really go well. You don't know how to pace the game, which points to push on, which points to relax for. Things fall into place after a game or so when you get the feel of the conditions, the atmosphere, the court, etc.

You had your best All England performance this year in four attempts. How different was this compared to your previous All England?

The feeling of the tournament was completely different. I was feeling I was playing well and thought I had a good chance. I had a good draw to start with, and could get to the semifinals. Sometimes, it doesn't happen. I am happy as a whole. The fact that I started playing after the foot corns and was able to get those couple of good wins, that's what is really important for me right now.

So, despite the years of experience, you still start afresh after a break, isn't it?

When playing tournament, it is business usual. When you are out of the tournament, however much you practice, the pressure is different. The conditions are new, the shuttlecocks are new. You tend to be a little more rusty.

When all the focus was on Srikanth and PV Sindhu, you went the farthest among Indian men at All England this year. What kind of satisfaction does that give you?

Well, yes, I have always loved being an underdog. That's the way I have been performing well over the years. The focus is naturally on the top players as they have been winning so many tournaments, and they are eyeing results. In my case, I have been out for a couple of months. There was no pressure for me at all. I just wanted to play an All England semifinal. There was absolutely no pressure on me.

Is All England the ultimate for you or is it the Olympics?

It is up to individual's interest. I'd rate All England as one of the best. Olympics is one event that comes once in four years. It has been my childhood dream to to come and play All England. The conditions, crowd, the way All England has been able to do it, I have always loved playing here. I always have a heart to play an All England final. If you ask me to choose between Olympic final and All England final, I would choose All England final.

Having a former All England champion Pullela Gopichand as coach, does it have an added advantage in Birmingham?

It is always helpful. He has played in this arena (Arena Birmingham). First thing he told us was not to play the opponent but to play the arena. It is one really huge stadium. The conditions are tough, courts are really hard. You really need to understand how the atmosphere is before sketching the opponent. All his inputs really helped at All England.

Could India's overall performance have been better?

Over the years, it has been getting better. This year, we had three very close matches – mine (against Huang in quarters), Srikanth (also to Huang in Rd 2) and Chirag Shetty/ Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (to Mathias Boe/ Carsten Mogensen in Rd 2, men's doubles). If we could have won all those, we'd have been in the semifinals. Last year, there were two Indians in quarterfinals (Saina Nehwal and Sindhu in women's singles). This year, we had one in semifinal (Sindhu in semifinals). It is going to get better and better.

You said you were forced to play India Open with foot corn. How did that hamper your preparation for All England?

The initial two weeks were tough for me at practice. I had pain and doctor told me to start playing even though it was painful. It was a tough situation to get through it. Only when I started practicing after coming to Birmingham did things get better. If I had more time, I could have been more match fit. In the quarterfinal stage, the body tends to break down after the first two rounds. If I trained better, I could have pulled off the quarterfinal match.

With Commonwealth Games coming up next month, how are you looking forward to it?

I have not really thought about it. It is better I don't think about it. Just go and play my natural game. In the next couple of weeks, will put in more effort in training and be in a much better shape for Commonwealth Games.

Last year, you were saying about the need to get mentally tough to match Srikanth. Are you getting there?

Yes. Some days, you feel really better, some days, like in the quarterfinal, I should have been mentally stronger and trusting myself. That wasn't happening and I was confused what to do next. Those are the turning steps. In the last couple of years, I have been losing major quarterfinals and semifinals very closely. I need to learn, and hopefully I will be better in the coming months.

How much of a help can the coach be on this aspect during matches?

A lot, for sure. Gopi sir is one guy who addresses the situation directly, asks you to take calculated risks and when someone of his stature keeps telling you, you start believing. If someone from outside tells, you hesitate to believe. But, Gopi sir keeps pushing at every point and especially in crucial juncture. It has worked out exceptionally well for me.

Prannoy at All England

2018: Quarterfinal
2017: 2nd round
2016: 1st round
2015: 2nd round

Prannoy at All England 2018:

1st round: beat 8-Chou Tien Chen (TPE) 9-21 21-18 21-18

2nd round: beat Tommy Sugiarto (INA) 21-10 21-19

Quarterfinal: lost to Huang Yuxiang (CHN) 22-20 16-21 21-23

Did you know?

HS Prannoy entered All England as world No. 12 and dropped 4 places to 16th in the latest ranking list issued last Thursday