Rising Indian sensation Ayush Shetty settled for a silver medal at the Badminton Asia Championship after going down to reigning world champion Shi Yu Qi in the final in Ningbo on Sunday, April 12. Giant killer Shetty could not find his rhythm as he went down to the World No.2 Chinese star in just over 40 minutes, going down by 8-21, 10-21.
While Shetty could not bring home the gold, he has already rewritten history for India. The 20-year-old from Mangalore is only the second Indian men’s singles player to have reached the final of the tournament since Dinesh Khanna won the gold in 1965.
Shetty’s dream run ends as Shi decimates the rising Indian
Shetty came into the final on the back of some sensational wins. He defeated the likes ofย world No.1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn, world No.4 Jonatan Christie and world No.7 Li Shi Feng on his way to the finalย with far greater attacking game.ย Shetty struggled to break through Shi Yu Qiโs tactical discipline, as the world champion used a wide range of strokes and clever deception to prevent the Indian from playing his natural attacking game.
Shi dictated the proceedings in the court right from the word go as he controlled the nets. The variations put Shetty off his plans as he succumbed to the pressure. The Chinese took the lead early at 6-2 before making it 11-6 at the halfway time in the opening game as the Indianย committed several unforced errors.
Mixing his game smartly, Shi combined drop shots with sharp cross-court returns to repeatedly pull Ayush forward and force mistakes. A couple of down-the-line smashes handed him multiple game points, and he wrapped up the opening game after another wayward return from the Indian.
Shetty gives fight to Shi in the second game before going down
Shetty put up a fight against the Chinese in the second game as he replied with a powerful straight smash and impressive defensive dives to take a 3-1 lead. The Indian took a 7-2 lead despite Shi keeping probing him with backhand deception and deep pushes.ย
However, the momentum didnโt last. A couple of long shots and a mistimed smash allowed Shi to level at 7-7. He regained control with a backline return, followed by more errors from Ayush, to lead 11-8 at the interval.
Shiโs precision and ability to find open spaces, often capped with powerful smashes, made it increasingly difficult for Ayush, as the lead stretched to 13-8 and then 15-9. A body shot followed by a straight smash took Shi to 17-9, and another long error from Ayush further dented his hopes. A sharply angled smash brought Shi within touching distance, and a fierce cross-court winner earned him a host of match points. He eventually sealed the victory with a return aimed at Ayushโs body, closing out a dominant performance.