It was neither pretty nor impressive, but it was enough to proceed to the next round. That sums up Anders Antonsen’s first match at the World Badminton Championships in India.
The fourth-seeded Dane made many errors in his first-round match against Dicky Dwi Pangestu of Azerbaijan but still managed to secure a victory, winning 21-19, 21-17.
In the second round, he will face either Nhat Nguyen of Ireland or Croatia’s Aria Dinata. Antonsen was not firing on all cylinders when he took to the court in India on Monday—far from it, in fact.
His shots lacked sharpness, and his play lacked pace, allowing his otherwise unheralded opponent from Azerbaijan to keep up. Dicky Dwi Pangestu is ranked number 128 in the world, a player Antonsen, at his best, ought to beat convincingly.
Neither player possesses a powerful smash, but technically and tactically, the Dane is normally several levels above Pangestu.
In the first set, Antonsen appeared to be well in control as he pulled ahead 18-13, but errors crept in, resulting in a tight finish to the set.
After the change of ends, it was Pangestu who held the lead. He was up 11-8 at the mid-game interval, but a brief chat with his coach gave Antonsen a boost.
He won seven consecutive points immediately after the break, laying the foundation for ultimately clinching the victory in straight sets.