Ayush Shetty Stuns World No. 1 Shi Yu Qi on World Championship Debut

Indian badminton’s young sensation Ayush Shetty produced one of the biggest upsets of the opening day of the World Championships, defeating defending champion and world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi in a thrilling three-game contest at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Monday.

Playing in his first World Championships on home soil, the 20-year-old Indian defeated the top seed 21-14, 13-21, 21-19 to register his first-ever victory over Shi in four meetings. For Ayush, the win was easily the biggest achievement of his career so far.

“I would like it as the top one. At home, World Championship debut, world number one, I think it's a special win and I'm super happy today,” Ayush said after the match.

The victory was particularly impressive because Ayush had lost all three of his previous encounters against the Chinese star, including their most recent meeting in the final of the Badminton Asia Championships. However, the Indian and his team had clearly studied those matches closely and came into the contest with a well-defined strategy.

“Yeah, I think we analysed the matches well; tactically I was much better today. The last time we played, he outplayed me, but I was prepared for the game,” Ayush said.

Ayush made an explosive start, racing to a 3-0 lead and taking an 11-point advantage at the interval. He maintained the pressure after the break and comfortably closed out the opening game 21-14.

Shi responded strongly in the second game, forcing Ayush into a series of fast exchanges and eventually levelling the contest with a 21-13 win.

The deciding game turned into a tense battle. Ayush immediately took control, moving 6-3 ahead before extending the advantage to 9-4. He went into the interval with a commanding 11-5 lead and appeared to be cruising when he moved 16-5 ahead after the change of ends.

But the defending champion refused to surrender. Shi mounted a remarkable comeback as Ayush began to feel the pressure of closing out what could become the biggest win of his career. The Indian eventually reached 20-15, but Shi saved four match points to make the finish extremely tense.

Ayush finally held his nerve and converted the next opportunity to complete the upset.

Reflecting on those nervous moments, the Indian admitted that he became desperate to finish the contest.

“I was a bit desperate to win it. I was a bit close to the finish line, and I think it was a bit of a mess-up on my side. He's world number one; he's never going to give you easy points,” he said.

Ayush also had to overcome a minor injury during the match. He took a medical timeout after his finger began bleeding but said the interruption did not significantly change the momentum of the contest.

The home crowd also played an important role during the tense closing stages. With thousands of supporters cheering him on, Ayush found an extra source of energy even as the match slipped into a nervy phase.

“The crowd was really behind me and was giving me the energy. I was a bit tired, but the crowd cheering like that gave me a lot of energy,” he said.

Despite the pressure of facing the world's top-ranked player in the opening round, Ayush insisted that he did not abandon his tactical approach.

“There was a plan. I think I managed to pull it off. I managed to keep my plan till the end. I think I'm super happy,” he said.

The victory sends Ayush into the Round of 32 and gives him an early opportunity to make a deep run at his home World Championships. More importantly, the performance could prove to be a major confidence boost for the rising Indian, who has now shown that he can compete with and defeat the very best on the biggest stage.

Rather than allowing the unexpected victory to increase the pressure, Ayush said he was looking forward to what comes next.

“The pressure is always there even today, but I think I'm more excited and full of energy and really happy to move forward.”