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Ayush Shetty Stuns World No. 7 Li Shi Feng in Badminton Asian Championship Upset

India's Ayush Shetty scored a major upset by defeating China's World No. 7 Li Shi Feng in straight games at the Badminton Asian Championship. Shetty overcame strong starts from his opponent in both games to dominate the later stages. He won the match 21-13, 21-16 in 51 minutes to advance to the pre-quarterfinals. The Indian squad for the championships includes other top players like Lakshya Sen, PV Sindhu, and the duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.

Key Points: Ayush Shetty Upsets Li Shi Feng at Badminton Asia Championships

  • Major upset over World No. 7
  • Dominant straight-games victory
  • Seized control in mid-game phases
  • Advances to tournament pre-quarters
2 min read

Badminton Asian Championship: Ayush Shetty stuns World No. 7 Li Shi Feng of China with dominant straight games win

Indian badminton star Ayush Shetty defeats World No. 7 Li Shi Feng of China in straight games to advance to the pre-quarters of the Badminton Asian Championship.

"The youngster surged ahead with six consecutive points, closing out the match 21-16 in 51 minutes. - Press Release"

Beijing, April 8

India's rising star Ayush Shetty delivered a statement performance, upsetting World No. 7 and Hong Kong Open 2025 champion Li Shi Feng of China in straight games, 21-13, 21-16 in the Badminton Asian Championship.

Despite the former World No.3 Li's strong start in both games, the Indian youngster dominated the later stages to advance to the pre-quarters. In the opening game, Ayush fought back early to level at 4-4, with Li holding a slight edge until 7-7, as per a press release from the Badminton Association of India.

From there, the US Open 2025 champion seized control, overpowering the home favourite to take the game 21-13.

The second game followed a similar pattern, with Li initially applying pressure and leading into the mid-phase.

Ayush, however, drew level multiple times before shifting gears at 13-13. The youngster surged ahead with six consecutive points, closing out the match 21-16 in 51 minutes.

India's best-ever performances at the Badminton Asia Championships include two gold medals -- Dinesh Khanna in men's singles (1965) and the Satwik-Chirag duo in men's doubles (2023).

Badminton Asia Championships 2026 badminton: India squad Men's singles: Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty, Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy

Men's doubles: Hariharan Amsakarunan-M R Arjun, Pruthvi K R-Sai Pratheek K

Women's singles: PV Sindhu, Malvika Bansod, Unnati Hooda, Tanvi Sharma

Women's doubles: Kavipriya Selvam-Simran Singhi, Priya Konjengbam-Shruti Mishra, Ashwini Bhat K-S Gautam

Mixed doubles: Dhruv Kapila-Tanisha Crasto, Rohan Kapoor-Ruthvika Shivani, Ashith Surya-Amrutha Pramuthesh.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
So proud! He showed amazing mental strength to come back in both games. The way he shifted gears at 13-13 in the second game was pure class. Hope he can carry this momentum deep into the tournament. Jai Hind!
R
Rohit P
This is huge for Indian badminton. Beating a Chinese star in China is never easy. Our men's singles depth is getting seriously impressive. But a respectful note: we need to be careful not to put too much pressure on these young players after one big win. Let him develop steadily.
S
Sarah B
Watching from the UK, this is fantastic news! The dominance in the later stages of both games shows superb fitness and strategy. Well done, Ayush! The Indian squad looks very strong across all categories.
K
Karthik V
Wah! Kya performance hai! Six consecutive points to close the match? That's killer instinct. Remember the name, Ayush Shetty. After Satwik-Chirag's gold, maybe we can dream of another medal from this championship. 🤞
M
Michael C
Impressive composure from a young player. To not get rattled when the experienced opponent had a strong start speaks volumes about his coaching and mental preparation. Great for the sport's global competitiveness.

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