BENGALURU: On a day when Lakshya Sen, the recent All England Open finalist, suffered defeat in the first round of the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, Ayush Shetty gave India fresh hope. Shetty didn't just step up — he produced a statement win.
The rising star from Karnataka tore through the event with a performance that stunned World No 7 Li Shi Feng ruthlessly. The reigning Hong Kong Open champion was dismantled 21-13, 21-16 in a match that never slipped out of Shetty's control.
There was a noticeable edge to his backhand, and smashes which looked sharper and more reliable compared to his recent tournaments. Smashes were perfectly angled, targeting the sidelines and dragging Feng out of position. "I'm trying to bring variations on my smashes from the backside of the court. I'm confident of my long rallies as well," Shetty had said while talking to this daily recently. That constant variation left Feng second-guessing his returns, never quite able to settle into a rhythm. Coach Irwansyah's influence was clearly evident in Ayush's game.
In a surprising turn of events, World No 13 Lakshya Sen suffered a disappointing first-round exit. Despite his recent run to the All England Open final, the Indian shuttler fell in straight games (12-21, 19-21) to Hong Kong's Lee Cheuk Yiu. It was very difficult for Sen at the early stage of the game, but he missed some crucial points to give Lee an early edge. Even though he showed much better resistance in the second set, Lee's control over the game helped him to clinch the set 19-21.
On a positive note, in the women's section, PV Sindhu rallied to enter the second round after winning the singles opener 15-21, 21-11, 21-19 against Wong Ling Ching of Malaysia. Even though she seemed to be a bit rusty in the first game, the seasoned shuttler showed her pedigree with a sensational comeback, winning the following two games. In the decider, while both players were relying on longer rallies, Sindhu held her nerve at 19-19, stringing together the final two points to seal progression.
Later, youngster Unnati Hooda also pulled off a come-from-behind victory over Supanida Katethong of Thailand in their women's singles clash. Hooda won 23-25, 21-8, 21-18.
It's shaping up to be a high-stakes Thursday for India at the continental event. Sindhu and Shetty will take centre stage in their Round of 16 clashes, going up against Wang Zhi Yi and Chi Yu-jen, respectively. Joining Shetty in the second round, HS Prannoy, who beat Nguyen Hai Dang on the day, also has a tough challenge ahead as he locks horns with Weng Hong Yang of China.
