New Delhi: India’s rising badminton star Ayush Shetty produced a sensational upset to enter the semi finals of the Badminton Asia Championships, defeating third seed Jonatan Christie in straight games on Friday.
The world No. 25 overcame the fourth ranked Indonesian 23 to 21, 21 to 17 in a tightly contested quarterfinal that lasted 54 minutes. It was their first meeting on the international circuit, and Shetty displayed remarkable composure to outplay one of the sport’s most accomplished names.
Christie, a decorated player with gold medals at the Asian Games and Asian Championships, along with a key role in Indonesia’s Thomas Cup triumph, was unable to match the Indian youngster’s aggressive and controlled performance.
Shetty’s impressive run has been built on a series of dominant victories. He had earlier defeated Chin Yu Jen in straight games in the pre quarterfinals and began his campaign with a commanding win over world No. 7 Li Shi Feng in the opening round.
While Shetty’s performance has been the highlight for India, the rest of the contingent has faced setbacks. Two time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu exited in the second round after a straight games loss to Wang Zhi Yi. Similarly, HS Prannoy bowed out after defeat to Weng Hong Yang.
India also suffered disappointment in mixed doubles, where Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila were knocked out in straight games.
Despite the early exits of several top names, Shetty’s breakthrough campaign has kept India’s hopes alive. With confidence and momentum on his side, the young shuttler now stands on the brink of a historic final appearance.
