Despite playing very well, Le Duc Phat unfortunately lost to the number 1 Indian player.

In his opening match in Group K, Le Duc Phat ( world No. 70) secured an impressive 2-0 victory (21/10, 21/10) against Fabian Roth (Germany, world No. 82), while the top seed in the group, Prannoy (India, world No. 13), defeated Fabian Roth 2-0 (21/18, 21/12). This result puts Duc Phat temporarily at the top of the group thanks to a better tiebreaker record. He will face the Indian No. 1 player in the decisive match to compete for the top spot and a place in the knockout round.

Le Duc Phat caused an upset against world number 13 Prannoy.

Prannoy is the bronze medalist in the men's singles at the 2023 Badminton World Championships. The 32-year-old, 1.79m tall player also won a bronze medal at the 2023 Asian Games (ASIAD 19) and his highest career ranking was world No. 6. Meanwhile, Le Duc Phat, 26 years old, is 1.80m tall and currently holds a career ranking of world No. 70.

Despite being considered the underdog, army lieutenant Le Duc Phat had a dream start to the match. His smooth yet tricky shots troubled his opponent and gave him a surprising 11/9 lead in the first set. The number one Vietnamese player then showcased his versatile playing style, increasing his lead to 4 points (14/10) against Prannoy, leaving his opponent somewhat disoriented.

Le Duc Phat secured a stunning victory in the first set against world number 13 Prannoy.

Prannoy persevered, narrowing the score to 14/15, but Le Duc Phat quickly established a 3-point lead (18/15). Duc Phat's impressive performance was met with enthusiastic cheers from the fans in the arena. He came close to winning the first set, leading 19/16 and then 20/16. A clever drop shot close to the sideline by Duc Phat startled Prannoy, causing him to miss the shot, allowing the number one Vietnamese player to win 21/16 and take a surprising 1-0 lead.

Adjustments made after the halftime break helped Prannoy get off to a strong start in the second set, taking a 4-0 lead against Le Duc Phat. The number one Vietnamese player persevered with each shot, narrowing the gap to just one point (7/8) against Prannoy. However, Prannoy scored four consecutive points to extend his lead to 12/7 against Duc Phat. The player from the military unit made two unfortunate unforced errors, missing opportunities to close the gap and allowing Prannoy to take a 15/9 lead. The number one Indian player then accelerated, winning the set 21/11 and leveling the score at 1-1.

Prannoy had a tough match against Le Duc Phat.

In the decisive third set, Le Duc Phat created a back-and-forth battle, fiercely battling against Prannoy. Duc Phat had some unfortunate unforced errors but also made some excellent saves to equalize the score at 7/7 against Prannoy, then took the lead at 8/7. After one regrettable missed opportunity, Duc Phat slowed down somewhat, allowing Prannoy to score consecutive points to take the lead 11/8, then increase the lead to 15/9, 18/10 before winning 21/12.

Prannoy's 2-1 victory over Le Duc Phat secured him the top spot in Group K and a place in the knockout round. Meanwhile, Vietnam's number one player was eliminated, though somewhat disappointed, 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