CHENNAI: The celebrations were palpable. As soon as Ayush Shetty wrapped up the match against Lin Chun-yi of Chinese Taipei on Friday, the team raced to the court and laid out their emotions by forming a huddle. Given India's handy lead, they had been anticipating that moment for some time. And when it finally arrived, the shuttlers, fully immersed in celebrations, were looking to soak in the moment. Ayush had just confirmed India a bronze medal (at the very least) in the Thomas Cup — considered to be the World Championships in team competition — at Horsens, Denmark. It was pure ecstacy.
Moreover, the shuttlers now can dream bigger. They now have a brighter chance of retracing their 2022 exploits, a year they had captured a historic gold.
Ayush, with his win over All England and India Open winner Lin, had helped the team secure a 3-0 victory and a spot in the last-four stage of the premier competition.
Ayush, who has been at a different level since the Asian Championships began, was just too sharp for Lin, who's yet to regain his golden touch after injury. The 20-year-old from Karnataka was willing to engage in long rallies and executed some fine winners to kill off those rallies, much to the dismay of Lin. He also pulled off some insane returns to frustrate Lin, who gradually ran out of ideas.
In the end, the Indian was the clear winner, wrapping up the contest in 48 minutes. "Ayush was amazing and the boys are doing really well. Lakshya Sen and the doubles pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have also stepped up. This is a massive step and I believe the boys can go all the way and reclaim gold," Sanjay Mishra, BAI general secretary, told The New Indian Express.
Lakshya, the first one for India to take the court on the day, saved two match points before going on to overcome Chou Tien Chen, handing the team a vital 1-0 lead in the process.
Doubles specialists Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty also battled hard to pull off a win against Chiu Hsiang Chieh and Wang Chi-Lin, posting their third win in four outings in the event so far. They were far from flawless but they regained control in the third and final game to get over the line in a comfortable fashion.
The team will either face Japan or France in the semifinals.
Quarterfinal results: India bt Chinese Taipei 3-0: MS1: Lakshya Sen bt Chou Tien Chen 18-21, 22-20, 21-17. MD1: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty bt Chiu Hsiang Chieh/Wang Chi-Lin 23-21, 19-21, 21-12. MS2: Ayush Shetty bt Lin Chun-yi 21-16, 21-17.
