New Delhi: India’s march to the semi-finals of the Thomas Cup has been fueled not just by performance but by growing belief, with young shuttler Ayush Shetty declaring that the team – champions in 2022 – is confident of going the distance and reclaiming the title.Sealed India’s resounding 3-0 quarter-final win over Chinese TaipeiAyush made his intentions clear after an impressive 21-16, 21-17 victory over world No. 8 Lin Chun-yi.Go beyond limits with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!Highlighting the collective confidence of the squad, Ayush said, “We are confident that we can go all the way.The 20-year-old, playing his first Thomas Cup, has been unbeaten so far and credits the team’s early dominance for easing the pressure in the knockout clash. “Yesterday was the group stage, but today was a bit more pressure. Being 2-0 up made it a bit easier. I think I played with confidence and I’m happy to win for the team,” he added.Aayush also revealed a clear strategy against Lynn. “He’s the All-England champion and he has a really strong attack. The plan was to attack more and not give him too many chances, and I think I did that well. I’m happy,” he said.Lakshya’s fearless comeback set the tone.India’s accusation flared up. Lakshya SenWho staged a brilliant comeback to defeat world No. 6 Chu Tien Chen 18-21, 22-20, 21-17, saving two match points in the process.“It was a really good first game from him. He was very fearless and I was a bit unsure whether to attack or defend,” admitted Lakshya.“The second and third games, even though they went to deuce, I just took the approach of not waiting for things to happen. I tried to be more active, especially in the closing stages.”He also shared how he overcame the initial nerves. “My coach told me that I didn’t look confident and that I was overthinking my tactics. He told me to stop thinking too much and just play with my instincts,” he said.The double duo delivers under pressure.Experienced duo of Satok Sairaj Rankireddy And Chirag Shetty He then put India in command with a hard-fought win.“We really wanted the first tie to go in our favor… to see him win 20-18 to 20-20 and the way he celebrated, I celebrated,” Chirag said, highlighting the team’s energy.Satok emphasized comfort as the key factor. “We had to calm ourselves down… we just wanted to play a bit more calmly and stick to the strategy,” he explained.
