New Delhi: Indian badminton player Aayush Shetty continued his impressive run at the Badminton Asia Championships, reaching the semi-finals with a stunning win over world number four Jonathan Christie in Ningbo.
Aayush won 23-21, 21-17 in a close match, registering his first ever victory over the Indonesian star and securing a medal for India.The achievement is significant as Aayush became the first Indian men’s singles player since HS Prannoy in 2018 to win a medal in the continental event.
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It also ensures India’s first medal at the tournament since the men’s doubles gold won by Chirag Shetty and Satwiksraj Rankireddy in 2023.The match was a tense battle from start to finish. In the opening match, both players were evenly matched, with Christie holding a narrow lead at one point and even taking a match point. However, Ayush showed great composure under pressure and fought back to force a tie-break to ultimately decide the match.The second match followed a similar pattern, with Aayush taking a slight lead at the break and then tightening his grip as the match progressed.
His ability to remain calm and execute key points helped him close out the match and achieve a memorable win.Ayush’s journey in the tournament has been amazing. He had earlier stunned world No. 7 Li Shifeng in the opening round and then defeated Qi Yu Jin to reach the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, he will face Kunlavut Vitidsarn, who defeated Weng Hongyang 20-22, 21-9, 21-9.While Aayush was the standout performer, India’s campaign also saw setbacks, with PV Sindhu exiting in the second round and Lakshya Sen exiting in the opening round.