Shuttler Priyanshu Rajawat stuns world No. 4 Anders Antonsen to enter Canada Open semis

Promising Indian badminton star Priyanshu Rajawat's fairytale run at the Canada Open has taken him to the semifinal after a stunning victory over world No. 4 Anders Antonsen of Denmark.
Ranked world No. 39, Rajawat gave Antonsen a tough fight before winning the match 21-11, 17-21, 21-19 in a tight finish to the 1-hour-19-minute battle.
Unfortunately, the women's doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand faced a setback in their quarterfinal match.The third-seeded Indian duo suffered an 18-21, 21-19, 16-21 loss against Pei Shan Hsieh and En-Tzu Hung of Chinese Taipei.
The 22-year-old Rajawat's triumph over Antonsen marks his first-ever win against a top-10 player. He will face Alex Lanier of France in the semifinals. This will be Rajawat's second appearance in a World Tour Super 500 semifinal.
The opening game saw Rajawat take an early 7-4 lead before Antonsen managed to level the score at 9-9. However, Rajawat's dominance shone through as he claimed five consecutive points to gain the upper hand. Despite Antonsen's efforts to mount a comeback, Rajawat sealed the first game by winning seven straight points.
In the second game, Antonsen displayed his resilience and staged a strong comeback. Although Rajawat managed to level the game at 17-17, he conceded four consecutive points, allowing the world number four to force a deciding game.
The final game began with Rajawat taking a 5-1 lead, but Antonsen responded by winning six points in a row, bringing the score to 7-5 in his favour. Rajawat fought back, winning three points, but the experienced Dane held a narrow 11-10 lead at the mid-game interval.
With the match evenly poised, it was anyone's game. However, at 19-19, Rajawat showcased his determination and won two consecutive points to secure the match and advance to the semifinals.
Following the exits of other Indian players, Rajawat remains the sole representative of his country in the tournament. His impressive run includes victories over higher-ranked opponents such as world number 24 Rasmus Gemke of Denmark and Japan's Takuma Obayashi, ranked 33rd, in the earlier rounds.