Prarthana Hazarika
New Delhi, Aug 17: Ayush Shetty had lost to Shi Yuqi three times before Monday. The fourth meeting was different.
The 21-year-old Indian produced the biggest win of his career at the BWF World Championships in New Delhi, beating the defending champion 21-14, 13-21, 21-19 to move into the second round.
For former international shuttler Ajit Wajetilak, who has followed Shetty’s progress closely, the significance of the result goes well beyond a first-round victory.
“It’s the biggest win of his career and it’s huge. He will now be sure that he can beat anyone, having beaten the reigning world champion and World No. 1. No one is bigger in world badminton,” Wajetilak told The Meghalaya Express.
The result was particularly significant because of what had happened earlier this year.
Shetty had suffered a heavy defeat to Shi in the Badminton Asia Championships final. But instead of allowing that result to define the rivalry, he gradually closed the gap.
“He steadily improves his game and closes and beats players he has lost earlier,” Wajetilak said. “After his loss in BAC in China, he had extended him to a decider in Malaysia.”
That improvement was evident from the opening rally in Delhi.
Shetty did not try to match Shi’s power. Instead, he looked to control the net and make the Chinese player work for every opening.
“Ayush controlled the net very well and played not just right dribbles (spin shots) but also delayed shots,” Wajetilak said.
His defence was another important part of the plan.
“He defended brilliantly, making Shi go closer to many of Shi’s straight smashes. He lifted to the back court, not letting Shi come on to the net for the kill.”
Shetty also kept his cross-court smashes straight, forcing Shi to move and repeatedly testing the lines.
“He made Shi go sharper to the lines and make marginal errors inside the sideline,” Wajetilak added.
The Indian’s start was particularly impressive. He remained steady through the opening stages and took the first game 21-14.
Shi responded in the second, taking it 21-13, and for a while Shetty appeared to be struggling physically.
But instead of trying to force his way back into the game, he allowed the second game to go and reset for the decider.
“I always liked Ayush’s calm temperament and that helped today,” Wajetilak said. “He looked a little tired and slow in the second game and duly let it go and started with aggressive intent in the third.”
That reset proved decisive.
Shetty moved 11-5 ahead in the deciding game and built a substantial cushion before Shi began his fightback.
The defending champion did what defending champions do, refusing to go away. He eventually moved to 19-20, leaving Shetty just one point from the biggest victory of his career but under enormous pressure.
Wajetilak felt Shetty briefly became too eager to finish the match.
“At 15-16, Shetty wanted to somehow finish the match and that led to a bit of lapse in tactical discipline,” he said.
But the youngster recovered when it mattered.
“He did amazingly come up with some on-the-line smashes to hold on to his finest win.”
For Wajetilak, that ability to recover from a difficult spell is as significant as the result itself.
“Hugely impressive is the difference in the maturity and the tactical discipline to keep the plan along with an improved game,” he said.
And then came the assessment that perhaps best captures what Monday could mean for Indian badminton.
“A superstar athlete is in the making.”
Shetty now moves into the second round with the biggest win of his career behind him.
More importantly, he has shown a quality that separates promising players from genuine contenders: the ability to learn from defeat and return with a better plan.
He lost heavily to Shi in China. He pushed him to a decider in Malaysia. In Delhi, when the defending champion had to be beaten, Shetty found a way.
For Indian men’s singles, that progression may be the most significant part of the story.
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