BWF Worlds: Ayush Shetty stuns world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi in three-game epic | Other Sports News

Ayush Shetty produced one of the biggest wins of his young career, stunning world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi in a pulsating three-game contest at the BWF World Championships.

Playing against the top-ranked Chinese shuttler in first round,  21-year-old Shetty displayed remarkable composure throughout the deciding game to prevail 21-14, 13-21, 21-19 and send the Indian crowd into raptures.

Shetty dominates first game

Shetty made an impressive start against the heavily favoured Chinese opponent, taking an 11-5 lead in the opening game. The Indian showed confidence during the extended rallies and repeatedly forced Shi into errors.

Shi appeared frustrated as the game progressed, frequently expressing his disappointment after losing points. Shetty, meanwhile, continued to attack and made excellent use of his smashes, particularly when forced into awkward positions.

The Chinese star did produce some spectacular attacking shots of his own, finding gaps on Shetty’s left side that even the diving Indian struggled to cover. But Shetty held his nerve during a tense exchange of smashes late in the game to take the opener 21-14.

Shi Yu Qi responds

The world No. 1 showed why he occupies the top spot in the second game, making a quick start and taking an early two-point advantage. His clever use of drop shots disrupted Shetty’s rhythm and helped him regain control of rallies.

Shetty continued to fight through long exchanges and produced several impressive winners from difficult positions. However, Shi entered the interval with a narrow lead and maintained his advantage after the break.

The Chinese shuttler looked far more composed than he had in the opening game and eventually levelled the contest by taking Game 2, 21-13.

Shetty keeps his nerve in decider

The deciding game began with both players showing signs of fatigue, but Shetty delivered a spectacular smash at 2-2 that electrified the home crowd and appeared to shift the momentum in his favour.

The Indian quickly established a five-point advantage, capitalising on several errors from Shi around the net. Shetty also continued to dominate the longer rallies and reached the interval with a commanding 11-5 lead.

He then moved further ahead with a brilliant run of five consecutive points. At 17-9, however, Shetty required medical attention on court, giving Shi an opportunity to fight his way back.

The Chinese player capitalised on Shetty’s growing fatigue, cutting the deficit to 18-14. Shetty recovered his serve at 19-15 and moved to match point, but Shi refused to surrender and reduced the gap to 20-16.

The drama intensified as Shetty appeared increasingly tired and gifted three successive points to Shi, leaving the score at 20-19.

But the Indian held his nerve when it mattered most. He won the decisive final point to complete a stunning 21-19 victory in the third game and knock the world No. 1 out of the BWF World Championships.

For Shetty, it was a statement victory that underlined his emergence as one of India’s brightest badminton prospects.