PETALING JAYA: Ayush Shetty (pic) could hardly have asked for a better start to his World Championships debut in New Delhi after pulling off the biggest upset of the opening round by stunning world No. 1 and defending champion Shi Yuqi.
The 20-year-old Indian had never beaten Yuqi in their previous three meetings, including their clash in the Asian Championships final in Ningbo in April.
But Shetty came prepared this time and, backed by a raucous home crowd at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, held his nerve to secure a 21-14, 13-21, 21-19 victory after a 73-minute battle.
Shetty, who faces Sri Lanka’s Dumindu Abeywickrama next, said the win had given him added belief to go further in the tournament.
“I would rank it as the biggest win of my career. To do it at home, on my World Championships debut and against the world No. 1 makes it very special. I’m super happy,” said Shetty.
“He was retrieving everything, and I think I became a little desperate to finish the match because I was so close to the finish line.
“But he was never going to give you easy points. Towards the end, it was all about handling the nerves. I took a risk on the final point, played a deceptive shot and fortunately it went in,” said Shetty.
The defeat for Yuqi was a reminder of how much Shetty has improved since the Chinese star beat him in Ningbo four months ago.
“I won our last match, but he has made a lot of positive changes since then, not only in his style of play but also in the way he prepared for the match and the conditions at the venue.
“Winning and losing are part of the game. Being one of the top players in the world does not mean you are going to win every tournament,” said Yuqi.
