Hong Kong, Sep 11 (PTI): Rising Indian badminton talent Ayush Shetty delivered a sensational performance at the Hong Kong Open Super 500 tournament on Thursday, pulling off a significant upset by defeating 2023 World Championships silver medalist Kodai Naraoka from Japan. The victory came after an intense three-game match, propelling Shetty into the men’s singles quarterfinals.
The 20-year-old athlete from Karnataka, who secured the US Open Super 300 title in June, impressed with his assertive playing style and excellent court coverage. These elements allowed him to overcome the former world No. 2 Japanese competitor with scores of 21-19, 12-21, 21-14 in a thrilling 72-minute match.
Ayush, who reached the finals at events such as the 2023 Odisha Masters, Bahrain, and the Netherlands, will next face Lakshya Sen, a fellow Indian and peer at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy, in the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, Lakshya Sen advanced to his first men's singles quarterfinal in a major BWF World Tour event in six months. Alongside him, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty also progressed in the USD 500,000 tournament. Former World Championships bronze medalist Lakshya, ranked 20th, achieved his victory by rallying past HS Prannoy in a match that ended 15-21, 21-18, 21-10.
The 23-year-old, despite facing injuries and fluctuating form this season, last reached the semifinals at the All England Super 1000 in March and the Macau Open Super 300. In men's doubles, world no. 9 duo Satwik and Chirag, fresh from their bronze win at the World Championships in Paris, are set to compete against Malaysia's Junaidi Arif and Roy King Yap.
On Thursday, Ayush displayed relentless aggression to unsettle Naraoka. The opening game was a back-and-forth affair, with Ayush trailing at various intervals but leveraging powerful smashes to clinch the game 21-19. Naraoka made a comeback in the second game, building an 11-5 lead and maintaining the charge to equalize the match.
However, Ayush returned stronger in the deciding game, executing precise attacks and dominating the front court. He created a substantial 8-4 lead and sustained his pressing attacks until Naraoka made errors, providing Ayush with eight match points. Despite squandering two, he secured the memorable win.
In another match, Prannoy initially seemed in control, leading smoothly in the first game, but met resistance from Lakshya Sen after the sides switched. Lakshya overturned a deficit with a series of strategic smashes, capturing two game points and capitalizing on them as Prannoy made critical errors.
In the final game, though Prannoy led initially, he fell behind after committing several unforced errors. Lakshya capitalized on these errors, eventually taking control with a 16-10 lead and sealing the match when Prannoy misplayed once more.
Satwik-Chirag Pair Shines: The Indian doubles team of Satwik and Chirag, despite a slow start, showcased their determination by overcoming Thai opponents Sukphun and Teeraratsakul. Although the Indian duo lost the first game, they heightened their intensity in the subsequent games. They responded hard in the second, securing a lead at the mid-game break and extending it to push for a decisive third game where they dominated to win convincingly.
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