Badminton Asia Championships 2026: Ayush storms into quarterfinals; Sindhu, Prannoy eliminated

Ayush Shetty continued his impressive run at the Badminton Asia Championships 2026 in Ningbo, China, securing a spot in the quarterfinals with another straight-games victory. Following his stunning opening-round upset of World No. 7 Li Shi Feng, the 20-year-old reigning U.S. Open champion maintained his momentum by defeating Chinese Taipei’s Chi Yu Jen. Shetty, currently ranked 25th in the world, dispatched the 20th-ranked Chi with a convincing 21-16, 21-12 scoreline in just 41 minutes. He is now set to face the 2024 champion, Indonesia's Jonatan Christie, for a place in the semifinals.

PV Sindhu, HS Prannoy knocked out of Badminton Asia Championships

In contrast, it was a disappointing day for India’s veteran stars as both P. V. Sindhu and H. S. Prannoy were eliminated in the round of 16. Returning to the circuit after a two-month hiatus, two-time Olympic medallist Sindhu struggled against World No. 2 Wang Zhi Yi. The Chinese former champion dominated the encounter, handing Sindhu an 18-21, 8-21 defeat.

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India’s campaign in the women’s singles category came to a complete halt following the exit of Unnati Hooda. Facing Japanese World No. 9 Tomoka Miyazaki, Hooda was unable to find her rhythm, eventually falling 17-21, 9-21. While Shetty remains a bright spot for the Indian contingent, the losses of Sindhu and Hooda mark the end of the country's challenge in the women's singles draw.

H S Prannoy’s return to competition following a shoulder injury ended in disappointment as he was ousted from the tournament by China’s Weng Hong Yang. Prannoy struggled to find his footing in the opening set and, despite a more competitive second game, ultimately fell 12-21, 19-21. India’s struggles continued in the mixed doubles category, where the duo of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto suffered a straight-games defeat. Later in the day, the women’s doubles pair of Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra are scheduled to take the court in hopes of keeping the Indian challenge alive.

Unstoppable Ayush Shetty rolls into quarterfinals

Meanwhile, Ayush Shetty showcased a dominant performance by utilizing his height to unleash steep smashes and maintaining exceptional control at the net. The opening game against Chi Yu Jen began as a tight contest, with Chi initially carving out a 10-6 lead. However, Ayush regrouped effectively after the interval, leveling the score at 12-12. As Chi began to struggle with his length and committed several unforced errors, the Indian capitalized on the shift in momentum, surging ahead to 18-14 before comfortably closing out the first game.