NEW DELHI: Indian shuttler Ayush Shetty continued his impressive run at the Badminton Asia Championships, reaching the semi-finals after a stunning win over world No.4 Jonatan Christie in Ningbo. Ayush won 23-21, 21-17 in a tight match to register his first ever win over the Indonesian star and secure a medal for India.The achievement is significant as Ayush became the first Indian men’s singles player since HS Prannoy in 2018 to win a medal at a continental event.
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Toast of Indian Men’s Badminton graces the stage at TOISA ’25 – Lakshya Sen shines on and off the court!!It also guarantees India its first medal at the championships since the men’s doubles gold won by Chirag Shetty and Satwiksiraj Rankireddy in 2023.The match was exciting from start to finish. In the opening game, both players were evenly matched, with Christie holding a narrow lead at one stage and even winning a game point. However, Ayush showed great composure under pressure, fighting back to force a tie-break and eventually clinch the game.The second game played out in a similar vein with Ayush taking a slight lead into the break before consolidating as the game progressed. His ability to stay calm and execute key points helped him close out the match and secure a memorable victory.Ayush’s journey in the tournament has been remarkable. He had earlier stunned world number seven Li Shi Feng in the opening round before defeating Chi Yu Jen to reach the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, he will face either Kunlavut Vitidsarn, who defeated Weng Hongyang 20-22, 21-9, 21-9.While Ayush was a standout performer, India’s campaign also saw setbacks, with PV Sindhu exiting in the second round and Lakshya Sen exiting in the opening round.
