Ayush Shetty stuns Shi Yuqi at Badminton World Championships in New Delhi
Ayush Shetty defeated defending champion and World No. 1 Shi Yuqi 21-14, 13-21, 21-19 in New Delhi at the Badminton World Championships on Monday.
Ahead of his World Championships debut against Shi, Shetty had said: "Tomorrow is a new day, and it will be a different game." The 21-year-old produced what the report described as the biggest upset of the day and perhaps the entire tournament, prevailing in a 73-minute contest despite a late surge from the Chinese star.
Shetty led 17-6 in the deciding game before Shi mounted a recovery that reached 19-20; the match finished when Shetty returned softly to the backcourt and left Shi stranded at the net. The final phase followed several points in which Shi produced smashes that clipped the line and exquisite drops, and Shetty was left drained and barely able to smile after the victory.
Having lost their previous three meetings, including the Asia Championships final in April, Shetty began aggressively and kept momentum away from Shi throughout the match. The Indian produced the longest rally of the contest, a 45-shot exchange at 8-5, and mixed jump smashes with delicate net play while diving for loose shuttles. Shi struggled with wide and over-hit shots as Shetty used his height to vary attack and defence.
Shi and his coach were engaged in animated discussions during the breaks, and the report noted the Chinese player was not in full control of either his game or emotions. Despite mounting a comeback in the third game, Shi was unable to overturn Shetty’s lead and ultimately bowed out of the match.
Shetty’s victory stood out on a day when other Indian contenders progressed: P.V. Sindhu beat Ireland’s Sophia Noble 21-7, 21-11; doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand defeated Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez (ESP) 21-9, 21-13; Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi overcame Nikol Carulla and Carmen Maria Jimenez (ESP) 22-20, 21-14. In men’s doubles, Hariharan Amsakarunan and M.R. Arjun were leading 21-16, 6-4 when Ireland’s Scott Guildea and Paul Reynolds conceded.
Other notable results reported included Chou Tien Chen (TPE) beating Clarence Villaflor (PHI) 21-12, 21-12, Toma Junior Popov (FRA) defeating Dominik Kwinta (POL) 21-19, 21-13, and Anders Antonsen (DEN) overcoming Dicky Dwi Pangestu (AZE) 21-19, 21-17. In the women’s draw, Wang Zhi Yi (CHN) beat Beiwan Zhang (USA) 21-12, 21-13, An Se-young (KOR) beat Kaloyana Nalbantova (BUL) 21-14, 21-13, and Mia Blichfeldt (DEN) defeated Keisha Fatimah Azzahra (AZE) 21-18, 21-4.
Shetty’s win was recorded as the standout Indian result of the day, and the report stated that the listed victors advanced to the next round of the World Championships.