Badminton Asia Championships: Ayush Shetty stuns world No. 7 Feng; Sindhu, HS Prannoy also win

NEW DELHI: India’s Ayush Shetty delivered one of the biggest upsets at the Badminton Asia Championships, defeating world No. 7 Lin Shi Feng of China in straight games to enter the second round. Ranked 25th, Ayush showed remarkable composure and confidence, winning 21-13, 21-16 in just 51 minutes. Despite falling behind early in both games, he fought back strongly each time to take control and close out the match.The match began with Lin taking a quick 4-1 lead, but Ayush bounced back to level at 7-7 before dominating the rest of the first game. A similar pattern followed in the second game, where Lin again led early and even stretched his advantage to 12-9. However, Ayush turned things around with a brilliant six-point run to move ahead and eventually seal a memorable win.Elsewhere, PV Sindhu also progressed after a tough three-game battle against Malaysia’s Wong Ling Ching. After losing the first game, she bounced back strongly to win the next two and secure victory. She now faces a challenging pre-quarterfinal clash against world No. 2 Wang Zhi Yi.HS Prannoy also advanced comfortably, defeating Vietnam’s Nguyen Hai Dang in straight games. He will next face China’s Hong Yang in the pre-quarterfinals.While there were some impressive wins, several Indian players had disappointing exits. Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, Malvika Bansod and Tanvi Sharma were all knocked out in the opening round.Overall, it was a mixed day for India, highlighted by Ayush Shetty’s standout performance, which not only boosted his profile but also gave India a strong start in the tournament.