Big upset at BWF World Championships: Ayush Shetty shows defending champion and world No.1 Shi Yu Qi the door
Ayush Shetty Stuns Shi Yu Qi in Round-of-64 Upset at BWF World Championships
Bharatmorningnews.com – In what will go down as one of the tournament's most shocking results, India's Ayush Shetty eliminated the reigning world champion and top-ranked player Shi Yu Qi from the BWF World Championships in New Delhi. The round-of-64 clash on Court 1 at the Indira Gandhi Arena ended with Shetty prevailing 21-14, 13-21, 21-19 in a contest that kept the packed house on its feet from start to finish.
Underdog Triumphs Before a Roaring Home Crowd
Going into the match, the betting lines and expert consensus pointed overwhelmingly toward the Chinese star. Shetty, sitting at world ranking No. 20, faced the player who had claimed the title the previous year and currently held the No. 1 spot. Few predicted the young Indian would survive the encounter. Yet from the very first rally, the atmosphere inside the arena tilted decisively in his favour.
Court 1 was filled with supporters desperate to see their countryman compete at this level. Each time Shetty threaded a shot past Shi's guard or landed a decisive winner, the decibel level inside the venue surged. That vocal backing proved a constant undercurrent throughout all three games.
Game-by-Game Breakdown
The opening game belonged to Shetty. He dictated pace, absorbed pressure during extended rallies, and converted his chances with clinical precision to close out the first game 21-14. The defending champion, however, refused to fold. In the second game, Shi found his rhythm, applied relentless pressure, and reclaimed momentum to take the frame 21-13, forcing a decider.
The final game delivered the intensity the first two had promised. Neither competitor yielded ground, and the scoreline remained razor-thin well past the halfway mark. As Shi clawed back points and momentum began to swing, Shetty leaned on mental discipline to stay level-headed. The home supporters amplified their chants — "Let's go Ayush" echoed through the indoor arena — and Shetty answered with some of his most composed badminton of the evening. He sealed the deciding game 21-19, triggering an eruption of celebration across the stands.
Post-Match Reflection
Shi himself conceded that Shetty had altered his game since their last encounter at the Asian Championships, where the Chinese player had prevailed. On this occasion, the Indian's tactical adjustments proved decisive as he flipped the script on the world No. 1.
Speaking after the match, Shetty described how he managed the pressure of closing out the decider against the top-ranked player:
"I was telling myself to calm down… I was getting a bit nervous because he was catching up and momentum was shifting. I was just telling myself: calm down and be aggressive."
For Shetty, the victory marks a defining moment in his career. He stepped onto Court 1 as the world No. 20 and departed having dismantled the defending champion in the round of 64, announcing himself on one of badminton's grandest stages with a performance that will be replayed for years.
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