Le Duc Phat played very well but still unfortunately lost to the number 1 Indian tennis player.

In the opening match of Group K, Le Duc Phat (ranked 70th in the world) won an impressive 2-0 (21/10, 21/10) victory over Fabian Roth (Germany, ranked 82nd in the world) while the number 1 seed of this group, Prannoy (India, ranked 13th in the world) won against Fabian Roth 2-0 (21/18, 21/12). That result helped Duc Phat temporarily lead the group thanks to a better tiebreaker. He and the number 1 Indian player faced off in the decisive match to compete for the top spot in the group and a ticket to the knockout round.

Le Duc Phat surprises world No. 13 player Prannoy

Prannoy is the winner of the men's singles bronze medal at the 2023 Badminton World Championship. The 32-year-old, 1.79 m tall player is also the winner of the 19th Asian Games bronze medal in 2023 and has achieved a career-high ranking of 6th in the world. Meanwhile, Le Duc Phat is 26 years old, 1.80 m tall and currently holds a career-high ranking of 70th in the world.

Although considered the underdog compared to his opponent, army lieutenant Le Duc Phat had a "dream" start to the match. Duc Phat's soft but tricky shots made things difficult for his opponent and helped him unexpectedly take an 11/9 lead in the first set. Vietnam's number 1 male tennis player brought into play a very diverse playing style, increasing the gap to 4 points (14/10) against Prannoy, making his opponent somewhat confused.

Le Duc Phat had an explosive victory in the first set against world No. 13 player Prannoy.

Prannoy persisted in reducing the score to 14/15 but Le Duc Phat quickly established a 3-point gap (18/15). Duc Phat's impressive performance was cheered by many fans present at the stadium. He came close to winning the first set when he led 19/16 and then 20/16. Duc Phat's close-range shot startled Prannoy and he then missed the ball, helping the number 1 Vietnamese player win 21/16 and surprisingly take a 1-0 lead.

Adjustments after the break helped Prannoy start strongly in the second set and take a 4/0 lead over Le Duc Phat. Vietnam's No. 1 male tennis player persevered with each shot, narrowing the gap to 1 point (7/8) over Prannoy. However, Prannoy had 4 consecutive points to create a 12/7 gap over Duc Phat. The tennis player from the military unit had 2 regrettable misses, missing the opportunity to narrow the gap and letting Prannoy take the lead 15/9. The No. 1 Indian tennis player then accelerated, winning 21/11, equalizing the score 1-1.

Prannoy had a difficult match against Le Duc Phat.

In the decisive game 3, Le Duc Phat created a tight match, fiercely pursuing Prannoy. Duc Phat had some regrettable misses but also had excellent saves to equalize the score 7/7 against Prannoy and then take the lead 8/7. After a regrettable miss, Duc Phat slowed down a bit to let Prannoy score consecutively to take the lead 11/8 and then increase the score gap to 15/9, 18/10 before winning 21/12.

The 2-1 victory over Le Duc Phat helped Prannoy take the top spot in Group K and secure a ticket to the knockout round. Meanwhile, Vietnam's No. 1 player was left somewhat regretful but still proud of his emotional performance.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/choi-rat-hay-le-duc-phat-van-thua-nguoc-dang-tiec-tay-vot-so-1-an-do-18524080101240551.htm