India’s HS Prannoy fought hard before going down in three games to rising Japanese Kodai Naraoka in the opening men’s singles Group A match at the BWF World Tour Finals here on Wednesday.

The World No. 12 Indian showed superb recovery after the opening game reversal and kept fighting in the decider before three unforced errors at the back end saw him lose 11-21, 21-9 ,17-21 to Naraoka in an hour long contest. It was his second defeat to the Japanese, having suffered a loss in their only meeting in Singapore Open in July. Prannoy will next face China’s Lu Guang Zu against whom he lost at French Open this year.