Ayush Shetty, India’s lone representative in the men’s singles draw at the Badminton Asia Championships 2026, stormed into the semi-finals with a stunning win over third seed Jonatan Christie on Thursday.
The 20-year-old, ranked World No. 25, defeated Christie in straight games in a 54-minute contest. After edging a tight opening game 23-21, Shetty took control in the second, sealing the quarter-final clash 21-17.
This marks the second major upset for Shetty in the tournament. In the opening round, he knocked out World No. 7 and Hong Kong Open 2025 champion Li Shi Feng in straight games, winning 21-13, 21-16. He followed that up with a victory over Chi Yu Jen in the second round.
Shetty has long shown signs of breaking into the top tier of men’s singles, and this result will significantly boost his confidence as he edges closer to the world’s top 20.
The result comes as a welcome boost for Indian badminton fans, especially after early exits for Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy earlier in the tournament.
Lakshya bowed out in the opening round, losing in straight games 12-21, 19-21 to Hong Kong China’s Lee Cheuk Yiu.
Prannoy, meanwhile, endured a far more frustrating exit. He went down to China’s Weng Hongyang in straight games, 12-21, 19-21, in a match marred by controversy. The Indian shuttler later criticised the organisers, questioning the absence of the Hawk-Eye system on his court. Prannoy expressed his displeasure over several line calls on Court 2 at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium, which he felt consistently went in favour of the Chinese players.
Meanwhile, Ayush Shetty will have to wait to learn his semi-final opponent. Second seed Shi Yuqi is currently facing Japan’s Kodai Naraoka in the pre-quarter-finals. The winner of that match will take on Chou Tien-chen in the quarter-final, with the eventual winner set to face Shetty in the semi-final.
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