Ayush Shetty has taken the world of badminton by storm after recording a shocking win over the World No.1 and Paris 2024 silver medalist Kunlavut Vitdsarn, who hails from Thailand, in the men's single semifinal of the Badminton Asia Championships on Saturday, April 11 at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Center.
Ayush's probable opponent in the final
The Indian shuttler displayed a strong act of resilience, coming from behind to defeat the top seeded player 10-21, 21-19, 21-17 in a game that lasted for an hour and 15 minutes.
In the final, Ayush could lock horns with fourth seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei or face second seeded Shi Yu Qi.
History created by Ayush Shetty
With this thrilling victory, Ayush became the first Indian men's singles player since Dinesh Khanna (1965) to reach the Badminton Asia Championships final. Khanna remains the only Indian to have won the continental title, achieving the feat in 1965.
In another milestone, Ayush became the first Indian men's singles player since HS Prannoy in 2018 to secure the podium finish at the Asian Championships. It also marks the end of India's wait for an overall medal, as the last came from Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in 2023.
Ayush secured the semi-finals berth after defeating World No.4 Jonatan Christie who hails from Indonesia on Friday (April 10). He registered his first win over Christie, taking the game 23-21, 21-17 in their maiden clash.
Ayush Shetty's incredible campaign
The reigning US Open Super 300 kicked off his campaign after claiming a great win over the World No.7 Li Shi Feng of China, by 21-13, 21-16 in the opening round. Ayush continued the momentum with another great win against Chin Yu Jen of Chinese Taipei in straight sets (21-16, 21-12) on Thursday, April 9.