Ayush Shetty, Rohan-Ruthvika progress to pre-quarters of Indonesia Open
Jakarta, June 3
Former world junior bronze medallist Ayush Shetty and mixed doubles combination of Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani registered hard-fought wins to advance to the second round of the Indonesia Open badminton tournament here on Wednesday.
Shetty defeated China's Weng Hong Yang 8-21, 22-20, 21-15, while Rohan and Ruthvika upset world no 20 Yang Po-Hsuan and Hu Ling Fang of Chinese Taipei 21-14, 21-14 to advance, according to a release.
Thomas Cup 2026 Bronze medallist Ayush came from a game down to beat world no.15 Weng for the second time in a row. Though he surrendered the first game, Ayush took an early lead in the second with a 4-point advantage at 8-4. Weng reacted quickly to close the gap, reaching his second game point. From 19-20, the Indian scored the crucial three points, forcing a decider.
While the second was an intense battle, Shetty earned a comfortable 6-point lead and maintained the advantage to close the match at an hour and six minutes. The Indian had defeated Weng previously at the Thomas Cup in April. He next meets Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong, who upset the 4th seed, Christo Popov.
In mixed doubles, Rohan and Ruthvika outplayed the higher-ranked Chinese Taipei pair, Yang Po-Hsuan and Hu Ling Fang, in straight games in just 34 minutes. Tough battle awaits as they meet the defending champions, Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue of France, in the next stage.
In women's singles tomorrow, PV Sindhu has to survive An Se Young's threat to advance, while Hariharan-Arjun meet Malaysia's Kang Khai Xing and Aaron Tai, who advanced after their opponents, Satwik-Chirag, exited during the opening game due to the former's injury.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Rohan and Ruthvika upsetting world no. 20 pair in straight games is phenomenal. They didn't even let the match go to a decider, finished in 34 minutes! But facing the defending champions next is a tough ask. Hope they can continue this momentum.
Sad to hear about Satwik-Chirag's injury forcing them to withdraw. That's a big blow for Indian doubles. But the future is bright with Ayush, Rohan-Ruthvika, and also Hariharan-Arjun stepping up. We need depth beyond the top stars.
Ayush's comeback shows mental toughness. Trailing 8-4 in second game, then saving match points and winning in decider? That's champion stuff. But he needs to avoid slow starts—giving away first game 8-21 is not sustainable at top level. Improvements needed.
Mixed doubles pair Rohan-Ruthvika deserves more recognition. They've been quietly improving and now beating higher-ranked pairs. Defending champions will be a huge test, but in sport, anything is possible. Good luck to all Indian shuttlers! 🏸
The depth in Indian badminton is increasing. Ayush has beaten Weng twice now—once in Thomas Cup and now here. That's not a fluke. Our next generation is ready. Also, PV Sindhu has An Se Young tomorrow, that will be the real test. Fingers crossed! 🤞
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