Rajawat clinches Orleans Masters title

ORLEANS (FRANCE): India’s Priyanshu Rajawat clinched the Orleans Masters Super 300 men’s singles crown as he defeated Magnus Johannesen of Denmark in a thrilling final here on Sunday.

Rajawat, the Madhya Pradesh lad who is ranked 58th in the world, saw off World No.49 Johannesen 21-15, 19-21, 21-16 in a hard-fought 68-minute summit clash to win the biggest title of his career. In the first meeting between the 21-year-olds, Rajawat, who had not dropped a game heading into the final, dished out a controlled aggressive game to go all the way.

The image of an airborne Rajawat unleashing a forehand cross-court smash will be etched in the memories of the spectators. The Indian made a positive start to the match, but Johannesen did not let Rajawat play his aggressive game initially.

However, the Indian opened up the court with a wide range of strokes that helped him secure a three-point cushion at the opener’s mid-game interval. After extending the gap to seven points at 18-11 with two cross-court smashes, Rajawat earned five game points. He took a 1-0 lead in the contest by pouncing on the first opportunity.

Johannesen began the second game on the front foot, leading 6-3, and managed to hold a three-point advantage at the half-way stage.

Despite committing a number of errors, the Indian reduced the deficit to two points at 15-17. Rajawat then saved two game points, but could not prevent the Dane from levelling the match.

In the decider, the Indian zoomed to a 7-2 lead only for Johannesen to draw parity at 9-9. His brief comeback included winning an incredible 54-shot rally.

After holding a slender two-point cushion at the mid-way mark, Rajawat secured seven championship points. He hit wide thrice before pushing the shuttle to the back court and lifting his hand in celebration.