New Delhi: Indian shuttler Ayush Shetty continued his impressive run at the Badminton Asia Championships by defeating world No. 4 Jonathan Christie in the semi-finals in Ningbo. Ayush won a closely contested match 23-21, 21-17, marking his first victory over the Indonesian star and a medal for India.The achievement is significant as Ayush has since become the first Indian men’s singles player. HS Prannoy To win a medal at the continental event in 2018.
It also guarantees India’s first medal at the championships since Chirag Shetty and Satok Sairaj Rankireddy won the men’s doubles gold in 2023.The match was tense from start to finish. In the opening game, the two players were evenly matched, with Christie holding a brief lead at one stage and even holding a game point. However, Ayush showed great courage under pressure, fighting back to force a tie-break and eventually win the game.The second game followed a similar pattern, with Ayush taking a slight lead at the break and then tightening his grip as the game progressed. His ability to remain calm and execute on key points helped him close out the match and secure a memorable victory.Ayush’s journey in the tournament has been spectacular. Earlier, he had stunned the world number one. 7 Li Shifeng defeated Chi Yujin in the opening round and then advanced to the quarterfinals. In the semi-finals, he will face Kanluwat Witedsaran, who defeated Wang Hongyang 20-22, 21-9, 21-9.While Ayush has been a standout performer, India’s campaign also suffered a setback, with PV Sindhu exiting in the second round and Lakshya Sen Going out in the opening round.
