Rising Indian badminton player Ayush Shetty clinched his maiden BWF World Tour title, defeating Canada's Brian Yang in straight games in the men's singles final of the US Open Super 300 tournament.
Sports News: Marking a new dawn for Indian badminton, 20-year-old Ayush Shetty created history on Sunday by winning the men's singles title at the US Open Super 300. This is his first BWF World Tour title, which is also the first major title of the season for Indian badminton. In the final, Ayush defeated third-seeded Brian Yang of Canada in 21-18, 21-13 in just 47 minutes.
With this title win, Ayush also effectively asserted his dominance over Yang. He had beaten Brian in the Malaysia Open and Taipei Open earlier this year, and this was his third win against Yang in the US Open. Ayush's game throughout the tournament was very b and full of confidence.
Semi-final Stardom
The highlight of Ayush's performance in the US Open was that he defeated top-seeded Chou Tien Chen of Taiwan in the semi-finals to book his place in the final. He was trailing at one point in the semi-final match, but he turned the match around with his brilliant returns and attacking strokes. In the final too, the score was tied at 6-6 initially, but Ayush took an 11-6 lead by the mid-break by applying excellent winners.
Yang tried to make a comeback at 13-11 and then at 16-16, but Ayush, maintaining composure and confidence, won the first game with a stunning jump smash. In the second game, he quickly took a 7-2 lead. Yang tried to make a comeback, but Ayush's excellent coordination of attack and defense did not give Brian a chance to return to the match. After taking a lead of 17-12, Ayush ended the match with a cross-court punch and then a powerful smash.
Tanvi Sharma Impresses, Falls Just Short
In the women's singles final, 16-year-old Tanvi Sharma played brilliantly, although she lost to top-seeded Beiwen Zhang of the United States 11-21, 21-16, 10-21 and was the runner-up. Tanvi played a very aggressive game in the second game after losing the first game. She troubled Zhang in long rallies and held on to the situation with an 11-9 lead by the mid-break.
Taking advantage of Zhang's mistakes, Tanvi won the second game 21-16 and took the match to the deciding game. But in the third game, Zhang made full use of her experience and took an 11-4 lead, which Tanvi could not break. Ultimately, Zhang won the third game 21-10 and won the title. However, this performance of Tanvi has brought great hope for India because she played her first World Tour final and showed a very spirited game.
Ayush's Consistent Stellar Journey
For Ayush Shetty, this victory is not just a tournament title, but a major milestone in his rising career. After winning a bronze in the 2023 Junior World Championships, Ayush had also reached the finals in the 2023 Bahrain International, 2023 Odisha Masters Super 100 and 2024 Dutch Open, but missed out on the title. This time, by overcoming his weaknesses, he has won the BWF World Tour title for the first time and shown that he is a future superstar.
This season for India has not been as per expectations. Many big stars failed in the tournament due to injury or poor form. In such a situation, this victory of Ayush is going to infuse new energy into Indian badminton. Tanvi becoming the runner-up also indicates a b future claim in women's singles.
