PETALING JAYA: Ayush Shetty’s superb form at the Thomas Cup continued to pay dividends as he delivered the winning point to send India into the semi-finals in Horsens after a 3-0 win over Taiwan yesterday.
India will face either France or Japan in the semi-finals today.
The 20-year-old, making his Thomas Cup debut, has been on fire in Denmark, extending his unbeaten run by beating Taiwan’s Lin Chun-yi 21-16, 21-17 at the Forum Horsens.
Earlier, seniors Lakshya Sen and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty had given India a 2-0 lead.
With pressure on his shoulders, world No. 18 Ayush stayed composed to seal the crucial win, sending India into the semi-finals for the first time since their title-winning run four years ago.
It was only the second meeting between Ayush and Chun-yi, with the Indian levelling their head-to-head at 1-1 after the Taiwanese had won their previous encounter at the Orleans Masters last year.
Ayush had already made a strong impression in the group stage, opening his campaign with a win over Canada’s Brian Yang before beating Australia’s Shrey Dhand.
In their final group tie, he stunned world No. 16 Weng Hongyang of China, winning 17-21, 21-13, 21-15.
Lakshya was first on court in the quarter-finals and, after a long battle with Chou Tien-chen, emerged victorious with an 18-21, 22-20, 21-17 win in a gruelling 88-minute match.
The first doubles was also a tough contest, with Satwiksairaj-Chirag overcoming Chiu Hsiang-chieh-Wang Chi-lin 23-21, 19-21, 21-12 in 75 minutes.
With a blend of experienced seniors and exciting youngsters, India will be out to make their presence felt again as they chase a second Thomas Cup title following their historic triumph in 2022.
