New Delhi: India’s young badminton star Ayush Shetty made headlines on Sunday by capturing his first-ever BWF World Tour title at the US Open Super 300, ending the country’s title drought this season. The 20-year-old produced a dominant performance in the men’s singles final, defeating Canada’s third seed Brian Yang in straight games, 21-18, 21-13, in just 47 minutes.
The victory capped off a remarkable week for Shetty, who also stunned top seed Chou Tien Chen in the semifinals with a gritty comeback win. This win marks Shetty’s third triumph over Yang this year, following earlier victories at the Malaysia and Taipei Opens.
Shetty, a bronze medallist at the 2023 Junior World Championships, displayed composure and tactical brilliance throughout the final. The opening game saw a neck-and-neck battle early on, with scores locked at 6-6. However, Shetty found his rhythm quickly, reeling off a series of winners to lead 11-6 at the mid-game interval. Though Yang mounted a brief comeback to level at 16-all, Shetty responded with precise placements and a decisive jump smash to take the first game.
In the second game, the Mangalore shuttler came out firing, racing to a 7-2 lead. Yang tried to claw back into the contest, but Shetty’s control, variation, and sharp defence kept the Canadian at bay. With a 17-12 advantage, Shetty wrapped up the match with a powerful cross-court punch and a commanding smash to seal his maiden World Tour crown.
Shetty had previously reached the finals of the 2023 Odisha Masters Super 100, the 2023 Bahrain International, and the 2024 Dutch Open, but Sunday’s triumph marked a significant career milestone.
Meanwhile, 16-year-old Tanvi Sharma delivered a spirited performance in the women’s singles final but finished as runner-up in her first-ever World Tour final. Facing top seed Beiwen Zhang of the United States, the unseeded Indian teenager went down fighting 11-21, 21-16, 10-21 in a tightly contested 46-minute match.
Zhang started strong, racing to an 11-5 lead in the opening game, which Sharma couldn’t recover from. However, the Indian youngster bounced back in the second game with aggressive intent, taking an early 4-0 lead and maintaining her edge through long rallies and sharp winners. From a narrow 11-9 lead at the interval, Sharma stepped up her intensity to force a decider.
But the third game proved a bridge too far. Zhang regrouped and dominated from the start, moving ahead 11-4 at the break before closing out the match with ease.
Despite the loss, Sharma’s fearless performance against a seasoned opponent earned her praise and signalled her arrival on the big stage.
Together, Shetty’s title win and Sharma’s runner-up finish mark a promising chapter for Indian badminton, showcasing the emergence of a new generation of talent on the world circuit.
