Ningbo (China), April 11 India's Ayush Shetty defeated top seed and defending champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn in a stunning three-game win, securing a spot in the final of the Badminton Asia Championships here on Saturday.
The 25th-ranked player showcased his superior attack and robust defence to achieve a sensational 10-21, 21-19, 21-17 victory over Thailand's Vitidsarn, a Paris Olympics silver medallist and 2023 world champion, in the semifinal that lasted 75 minutes.
"Ayush handled the situation well," said Vimal Kumar, former India chief coach and Director of Centre for Badminton Excellence (formerly PPBA), "He seemed to get into Kunlavut's head with his attacking style and exploited that effectively."
"Winning the second game was crucial. At 20-14, Ayush Shetty looked in control, but got a bit anxious as Vitidsarn clawed back to 20-19. That is where he produced something special to close it out."
"Throughout the week, he has shown the ability to perform under pressure, using the right tactics and deploying his smashes and drops strategically. That discipline paid off."
With this win, Ayush became the first Indian men's singles player after Dinesh Khanna to reach the final of the prestigious tournament.
Khanna remains the only Indian to win the men's singles gold at the continental meet back in 1965. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won the doubles title in 2023.
The 20-year-old from Mangalore, the US Open Super 300 champion, will face either Chinese Taipei's fourth seed Chou Tien Chen or second-seeded Chinese Shi Yu Qi in the summit clash.
Ayush has secured several high-profile victories against players like Paris bronze winner Lee Zii Jia, former world champion Loh Kean Yew, and Brain Yang. This week, he defeated World No. 7 Li Shi Feng and World No. 4 Jonatan Christie before outplaying Vitidsarn.
"What he needed was maturity," said Vimal, "That was evident here. He played composed, intelligent badminton under pressure."
"At just 20, he has plenty of time on his side. India now has two strong men's singles players in Ayush and Lakshya, and wins like this are significant for the larger ecosystem."
The Indian, who has been training under Indonesian coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama for the past two weeks, didn't drop a single game coming into the final. However, he had suffered a straight-game loss to Vitidsarn during the Arctic Open last year.
Ayush took time to get into the rhythm as Vitidsarn dictated play early with pace and precision, racing to a 4-0 lead with a body smash and maintaining a high tempo with sharp, angled returns that kept the Indian on the move.
Comfortably countering the Indian's attacking attempts, the Thai mixed his strokes well and surged to an 11-5 lead at the interval before cruising through the opening game with a flurry of smashes and disguised returns.
Vitidsarn's ability to switch from defence to offence in a flash kept him in control as he extended his lead to 18-9. A cross-court smash earned him 10 game points, and he sealed it comfortably when Ayush went wide.
After the change of ends, Ayush made a much sharper start, opening up a 3-1 lead with a jump smash and quickly stretching it to 7-1 as Vitidsarn began to commit unforced errors.
The Indian showcased his athleticism with a series of full-length dives and rapid counter-attacks, taking an 11-4 lead at the break.
Though Ayush briefly lost his way, committing a string of errors that allowed Vitidsarn to claw back to 13-11, he regained control with a cross-court smash and capitalised on a couple of net errors to move to 16-11.
The Indian grabbed six game points with a backhand hand flick at the net and even though the Thai saved five game points, Ayush held his nerve and sealed the second game with a trademark down-the-line smash to force a decider.
Carrying the momentum forward, Ayush opened up a 4-1 lead in the third game and tightened his defence, retrieving returns he had missed earlier while keeping Vitidsarn under sustained pressure with aggressive play.
He read the Thai better, trusted his attack, and maintained a healthy cushion heading into the final interval.
From there, Ayush took complete control. He repeatedly cramped Vitidsarn for space with his powerful smashes, surging to 17-10, and continued to dictate rallies.
A series of attacking strokes, including a cross-court smash and a delicate drop, took him to 19-13.
Vitidsarn attempted a late fightback, but Ayush stayed composed, earning four match points with another cross-court winner before sealing a memorable victory with a final down-the-line smash.
Vimal said the presence of a physio has also been critical.
"With most Indian players already back home, BAI made arrangements to keep Lakshya's physio back. That support is proving vital for recovery, especially with another match coming up," he said.