Le Duc Phat, despite making a strong start, couldn’t sustain his advantage in the decisive match at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
After a relatively easy victory over Germany’s Fabian Roth (ranked 82nd in the world), Le Duc Phat (ranked 70th) faced a tougher challenge against India’s Prannoy (ranked 13th) in the deciding match for a place in the round of 16. Despite being up against a higher-ranked opponent, Đức Phát showed no signs of intimidation and played confidently.
In the first set, Duc Phat maintained a close scoreline, even leading at times after a brief timeout. His aggressive play seemed to unsettle Prannoy, who made several uncharacteristic errors. Duc Phat capitalized on this, securing a surprising 21-16 victory in the opening set.
However, in the second set, Prannoy regained his composure and began to showcase his experience and higher ranking. He steadily pulled ahead, demonstrating a more consistent performance to win the set 21-11.
The third and deciding set saw both players initially exchanging powerful shots and keeping the score close. However, Prannoy’s consistency and tactical play eventually proved too much for Duc Phat, who started to falter. Prannoy pulled away and closed the match with a 21-12 win.
With this 2-1 victory, Prannoy advanced to the round of 16, where he will face his fellow Indian compatriot, Lakshya Sen (ranked 22nd in the world).
For Le Duc Phat, although his Olympic journey ended at the group stage, his performance was commendable. He not only secured a win but also pushed a top-ranked player to a three-set match, showcasing his potential on the international stage. This experience will undoubtedly be invaluable for Duc Phat as he continues to develop his career in badminton.
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