Ayush Shetty knocked out of BWF World Championships after going down to Alwi in 2nd round

The fairy-tale BWF World Championships campaign came to a screeching halt for Ayush Shetty, leaving the local crowd silenced at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on August 20. Fresh off a massive upset against World No. 1 Shi Yuqi, the 22nd-ranked Indian shuttler was carrying the weight of home expectations as he spearheaded the nation's men's singles challenge. However, he couldn't maintain that magical momentum, ultimately bowing out in the Round of 16 to a known adversary, Alwi Farhan.

Ayush Shetty out of BWF World Championships

Despite the passionate indoor arena roaring for every point, Ayush struggled to recreate the sparkling form that defined his previous round. A fiercely contested opening game swung narrowly away from him before the match quickly unravelled in the second set. Farhan capitalized on the shifting momentum to seal a decisive 21-19, 21-11 victory, wrapping up the contest in just 45 minutes and ending the young Indian's promising World Championship run.

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Alwi Farhan has the last laugh against Ayush Shetty

The opening game hung delicately in the balance as Ayush mounted a late charge, erasing an 14-18 deficit to snatch a late 19-18 lead. Yet, the young Indian was unable to slam the door shut. Seizing on the missed opportunity, Alwi regrouped almost instantly, snatching three consecutive points to claim the opener 21-19.

That momentum proved decisive as the Indonesian ran away with the second set. Plagued by erratic shot-making, Ayush began second-guessing his length after watching multiple lifts sail beyond the baseline, unintentionally feeding his opponent weak, short returns. Alwi exploited this relentlessly, bombarding Ayush's right hip with steep body smashes while using his fluid court coverage to deny the home favorite any comfortable rhythm.

Even a tactical intervention during the mid-game interval by Indian coach Sagar Chopda—who, alongside Irwansyah, warned Ayush about Alwi’s strategy of pinning him deep before luring him to the net—could not stem the tide. The Indian couldn't execute the adjustment, allowing Alwi to maintain total command and cruise to a commanding straight-games triumph.

Meanwhile, Alwi Farhan now carries the sole burden of Indonesia’s men’s singles ambitions into the next round. His lone-survivor status came after compatriot Jonatan Christie suffered an unexpected set-back earlier in the day, crashing out to Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke.