NEW DELHI: Priyanshu Rajawat has long been considered a prodigy on the court, one who keeps trying to break through with gutsy performances and spirited fightbacks. On Tuesday, the 21-year-old caused an upset of sorts when he beat reigning CWG champion Lakshya Sen in a hard-fought opening-round contest in the India Open Super 750 series. In the process, he set up another all-India showdown against the much-fancied H S Prannoy in the pre-quarters of the men’s singles.
Rajawat, who lost in the only previous meeting between the two on the BWF circuit at the Japan Open 2023, staged a remarkable comeback from a game down against Sen to win 16-21, 21-16, 21-13 in an action-packed 75-minute duel.