Swiss Open: B Sai Praneeth stunned by top-seed Shi Yuqi in final

Ace Indian shuttler B.Sai Praneeth settled for a runner-up finish at the Swiss Open Super 300 after being stunned by Chinese player and top seed Shi Yuqi in the final of the tournament on Sunday. 

The 26-year-old Indian failed to replicate his good performance in Basel so far and slumped to a 21-19, 18-21, 12-21 defeat against Yuqi in the summit showdown that lasted one hour and eight minutes. 

Despite Yuqi making a strong comeback from 12-18 to 19-19, Praneeth held his nerve and grabbed two crucial points to seal the opening game.

In contrast to the first game, the second game was a closely-fought contest as the Indian shuttled earned four consecutive points to reach 13-10 against his Chinese opponent before Yuqi bounced back to level the score at 15-15.

However, the top-seed bagged three consecutive points to force the match into the decider.

After the two players were tied at 4-4 in the third and final game, Praneeth failed to stage a comeback and allowed the Chinese star to keep on widening the gap as Yuqi eventually emerged out victorious. 

Notably, Praneeth was playing the final of a Badminton World Federation (BWF) tournament for the first time since Thailand Open in 2017,

On Saturday, Praneeth showcased a rich vein of form as he swept aside second-seed Chen Long of China in straight games to cement his spot in the finals of the Swiss Open. 

Though Praneeth was initially tested by the reigning Olympic champion Long during the semi-final clash, the Indian rebounded in style to prevail the world number five 21-18, 21-13 in 46 minutes.