Ayush Shetty stunned world No 1 Shi Yuqi in his BWF World Championships 2026 debut on Monday. The 21-year-old Indian, ranked 22nd, beat the 30-year-old Chinese top seed 21-14, 13-21, 21-19 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.
Shetty Ends Winless Run Against Shi Yuqi
Ayush entered the match with an 0-3 head-to-head record against Shi Yuqi. Shi Yuqi beat him 21-19, 21-19 at the Indonesia Masters last year. He needed three games and one hour 10 minutes at this year’s Malaysia Open round of 16. The most recent clash was one-sided. Shi Yuqi won the Badminton Asia Championships final in Ningbo in April by 21-8, 21-10.
How Shetty Sealed the Upset
Ayush showed big improvement since that April defeat. He raced to an 8-3 lead, stretched it to 13-6 and took the first game 21-14. Shi Yuqi fought back in the second game. The scores were level at 8-8 before Shi Yuqi took control. He moved ahead 15-10, then 17-13, and won four straight points to force a decider. The final game was tied at 3-3. Ayush won three straight points and led 11-5 at the interval. He kept his composure to seal the 21-19 win.
Sindhu Cruises Past Sofia Noble
PV Sindhu also opened her campaign with a comfortable win. The two-time Olympic medallist beat Ireland’s Sofia Noble 21-7, 21-13 in 29 minutes. Noble is ranked 141st in the world. Sindhu, the ninth seed and 2019 world champion, next faces Canada’s Wen Yu Zhang. She owns two bronze, two silver and one gold at the Worlds. A semifinal spot would make her the first player with six World Championships medals.
More Indian Wins on Opening Day
Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand reached the women’s doubles second round. The pair beat Spain’s Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez 21-9, 21-13 in 33 minutes. They now face 16th seeds Lauren Lam and Allison Quinn Lee of the USA. MR Arjun and Hariharan Amasakarunan advanced after Irish rivals Scott Guildea and Paul Reynolds retired hurt. India led 6-4 in the second game. The 24th-ranked pair meets South Korea’s Kang Min Hyuk and Ki Dong Ju next. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the fifth seeds, received a bye into round two. They will play Scotland’s Alexander Dunn and Adam Pringle.
