India’s emerging badminton talent Ayush Shetty is on the cusp of a historic achievement as he gears up to face China’s Shi Yu Qi in the men’s singles final of the Badminton Asia Championships on Sunday.The 20-year-old has been the breakout star of the tournament, putting together an impressive run against some of the world’s best. Now, just one victory separates him from a landmark title that would mark a defining moment in his young career and a significant milestone for Indian badminton.

Semifinal heroics: Shetty stuns world No. 1

Shetty delivered a performance of immense character in the semifinal, overcoming reigning world No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn in a gripping three-game encounter. After a one-sided opening game, the Indian showed resilience and tactical maturity to fight back, turning the match around with aggressive shot-making and improved control in the rallies.

Shi Yu Qi cruises into final

In contrast, Shi Yu Qi had a far more straightforward passage to the final. The Chinese star produced a dominant display in his semifinal, winning in straight games with authority. His control over rallies, sharp net play, and ability to dictate tempo ensured he rarely allowed his opponent any foothold in the match.On Saturday, the 20-year-old Ayush dethroned Kunvalut 10-21, 21-19, 21-17, while world No.2 Shi outclassed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei 21-9, 21-13 in the semifinals of Badminton Asia Championships.

When and where to watch live

China’s Shi Yu Qi leads the head-to-head record against India’s Ayush Shetty 2-0 . The two shuttlers are scheduled to meet for the third time today. While Shi Yu Qi has won both previous encounters, their last meeting at the Malaysia Open in January was a closely contested three-game battle, suggesting Shetty is closing the gap.

Kiran George (PTI Photo/Gurinder Osan)(

NEW DELHI: India had a mixed day at the Swiss Open on Wednesday, with some impressive wins but several early exits. The biggest highlight came from Kiran George, who stunned former world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore in straight games. Ranked 42nd in the world, Kiran edged past the third seed 23-21, 21-19 in the opening round and will next face Hong Kong’s Jason Gunawan. However, Gunawan knocked out former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth, defeating him 21-15, 12-21, 21-4 in the round of 32.India also celebrated an upset victory in mixed doubles as Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto beat Denmark’s fourth-seeded pair Jesper Toft and Amalie Magelund 21-15, 21-14. They will now take on China’s Gao Jia Xuan and Wu Meng Ying in the next round.Despite these wins, several Indian shuttlers were knocked out early in the Super 300 tournament. In men’s singles, US Open champion Ayush Shetty lost 18-21, 19-21 to Canada’s Brian Yang. In women’s singles, Unnati Hooda was beaten 21-14, 21-14 by Chinese Taipei’s Chiu Pin-Chian, while top seed Putri Kusuma Wardani of Indonesia comfortably defeated India’s Tanvi Sharma 21-11, 21-10 in just 30 minutes.India also faced a setback when HS Prannoy, the 2023 World Championships bronze medallist, gave a walkover to Japan’s Koki Watanabe. In mixed doubles, Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde were eliminated after losing 19-21, 14-21 to Thailand’s fifth-seeded pair Ruttanapak Oupthong and Jhenicha Sudjaipraparat.On a positive note, India’s top men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty moved into the round of 16 with a 21-19, 21-19 win over Singapore’s Eng Keat Wesley Koh and Junsuke Kubo. H Amsakarunan and M R Arjun also advanced after defeating Chinese Taipei’s Chen Zhi Ray and Lin Yu Chieh 21-16, 24-22.

Lakshya Sen (PTI Photo/Nand Kumar)

Lakshya Sen showed grit and stamina to beat China’s Shi Yu Qi in a thrilling three-game battle on Tuesday, winning 23-21, 19-21, 21-17 at the All England Open Badminton Championships. It was his first victory over the former world No. 1 in a BWF World Tour event, and it didn’t come easy.The match was intense from start to finish, with long rallies and both players pushing each other to the limit. Lakshya started strongly, taking control of the first game with sharp smashes and quick net play. Although he nearly let it slip after leading comfortably, he held his nerve in a tense finish to take the opener.Coach Vimal praised his performance, saying, “Lakshya was very calm and composed today. Right from the start, he made Shi work hard for every single point, and eventually the Chinese player began to tire.”Even when Shi fought back to win the second game, Lakshya didn’t lose focus.“At one stage in the second game, I felt Lakshya was getting a bit fatigued, but he recovered well and raised his level. His attacking play was excellent too,” he added. “Overall, it was a very confidence boosting win.”The deciding game was again tight, but Lakshya’s speed, defence and smart shot selection made the difference. He stayed aggressive, forced errors from Shi, and closed out the match when the Chinese player hit long on match point.In other matches, Malvika Bansod lost to China’s Chen Yu Fei in straight games. However, the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto secured a straight-game win over Malaysia’s Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin.