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Ayush Shetty's Australian Open Stunner: How He Upset World No. 9 Naraoka

Ayush Shetty pulled off a major upset at the Australian Open. He defeated world No. 9 Kodai Naraoka in straight games to reach the quarterfinals. This sets up an exciting all-Indian clash against Lakshya Sen in the next round. Meanwhile, India's top men's doubles pair also secured their spot in the quarterfinals.

Key Points: Ayush Shetty Beats Kodai Naraoka to Reach Australian Open QF

  • Ayush Shetty secured a straight-sets victory over higher-ranked Kodai Naraoka
  • This marks his second win over the Japanese star in three months
  • He now faces compatriot Lakshya Sen in an all-Indian quarterfinal
  • Satwiksairaj-Chirag also advanced in men's doubles with a dominant performance
2 min read

Ayush Shetty advances to Australian Open Quarterfinals

India's Ayush Shetty defeats world No. 9 Kodai Naraoka in straight sets to advance to the Australian Open 2025 quarterfinals, where he will face Lakshya Sen.

"The Indian badminton player had also defeated Naraoka... at the Hong Kong Open in September - Olympics.com"

Sydney, November 20

India's Ayush Shetty, ranked 32nd in the men's singles badminton world rankings, stunned Japan's world No. 9 Kodai Naraoka, defeating him 21-17, 21-16 in a thrilling one-hour, eight-minute match at the Australian Open 2025 in Sydney, securing his spot in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

This was the third meeting between the two players in as many months on the BWF World Tour. The Indian badminton player had also defeated Naraoka, a world championships silver medallist, at the Hong Kong Open in September, but lost in the opening round of the Kumamoto Masters in Japan last week, according to Olympics.com.

Ayush Shetty, whose US Open triumph this year remains India's only title of the season, will face fellow Indian Lakshya Sen in the quarterfinals on Friday.

India's top men's doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, cruised to a 21-18, 21-11 victory over the world No. 50 Chinese Taipei duo of Su Ching-heng and Wu Guan-Xun in just 37 minutes, advancing in the BWF Super 500 quarterfinal in Sydney.

The Indian badminton players made a sluggish start at the Quaycentre in Sydney's Olympic Boulevard as they found themselves trailing the opening game 15-9 against Su Ching-heng and Wu Guan-Xun.

Satwiksairaj-Chirag will face Indonesian fifth seeds Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and Fajar Alfian in their top-eight clash on Friday.

Former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth takes on Japan's Shogo Ogawa, while Tharun Mannepalli faces Chinese Taipei's Lin Chun-Yi in the men's singles later on Thursday. The two Indians would meet in the next round if they win their opening matches.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Satwik-Chirag's comeback from 15-9 down was incredible! They're truly world-class. Indian badminton is having a golden era with so many players performing well internationally. 🥳
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David E
Impressive performance from Shetty! Beating a world No. 9 in straight games shows his mental strength. The Indian badminton contingent is really making waves globally. Looking forward to more exciting matches.
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Ananya R
While I'm happy for Ayush's win, I wish our media would cover badminton more consistently. These players deserve year-round attention, not just when they win big tournaments. Still, amazing achievement! 🙌
S
Sarah B
The depth in Indian badminton is remarkable! Multiple players in quarterfinals across categories. Ayush's US Open title was no fluke - he's the real deal. Exciting times for Indian sports fans!
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Vikram M
Bas ab quarterfinal mein dono Indian players ka match hai - Ayush vs Lakshya. Koi bhi jeete, India ka hi fayda! 🇮🇳 Hope both Srikanth and Tharun also win their matches today. #BadmintonRising

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