Calm Ayush Knocks Out Defending Champion Shi Yu Qi

New Delhi: “I will beat Shi Yu Qi on August 17.” Ayush Shetty had written this sentence on a piece of paper and every morning for the last 10 days, he would wake up and read the note. It was his way of showing his determination and belief.

There were no wild celebrations. Instead, Shetty just broke into a smile. Relief was written all over his face. The fans in the stands — all on their feet by then — didn’t hold back, drowning the big arena with their noise as the Chinese star left shell-shocked.

“It’s a great feeling. It’s special. I am super happy with the way I played,” said Shetty. “I knew it would be a tough match and I would have to work hard against the top seed. But I was mentally and physically prepared.”

“I was getting a bit nervous towards the finish. He was catching up, got the momentum. Everything I did, he somehow managed to return. I told myself to be aggressive but calm,” he said.

Ranked 22nd in the world, Shetty had met Shi twice before. Shi stopped his brilliant run to the final of the Asian Championships this year but that was also a breakout moment for the Mangalore boy, whose six-foot-five-inch frame, steep smashes and strong defence reminded Viktor Axelsen of his younger days.

“Were you in search of my prototype?” Axelsen called to ask mentor U Vimal Kumar, after Shetty was sent to Dubai last year to train with the legend. All those stints shaped Shetty’s mental resilience and the fruits of that were visible when he played an important part in helping India win a bronze medal at the Thomas Cup. The performances were starting to add up, now tinged with consistency.

It was as if he was preparing himself to deliver on the big stage. Shi had a 3-0 head-to-head record against Shetty, but the Indian had pushed him close twice. Shi admitted that Shetty’s fast, attacking game surprised him.

From the start, Shetty was the one taking the risks, going for the kill at every opportunity. He kept the rallies to a minimum, looked for scoring chances, and capitalised on the better side of the court, scoring quickly with the drift backing his strokes.

On the other end, Shi found it difficult to control the shuttle and made errors. With an 11-5 lead in the first game, Shetty was firmly in control.

Midway through the first game, Shi changed tactics and used some flat exchanges, but Shetty was quick to check the length and returned to the net to create openings through the mid-court. Whenever the shuttle fell short of the backcourt, Shetty’s tall frame would leap and smash it down.

Shi was clearly rattled after losing the first game, but he came back in the second, changing his approach. Even then, Shetty, now playing against the drift, was brilliant at the net, but unforced errors followed once Yuqi started to push him back and open the space for his smashes.

It was in the third game that Shetty was in full command, backed by the vocal support of the crowd. He gained confidence with every shot; some of his down-the-line smashes caught the world No.1 off guard, and a spin serve left Shi scratching his head.

Shetty was just gliding through — smashes, drops, and net winners kept coming and piled pressure on the formidable Chinese.

Leading 11-5 in the decider, Shetty was cruising, but the match was not over yet. Shi crawled back, almost unnoticed amid the din in the stadium. Still, Shetty had enough points to play with.

With the score at 17-9, the Indian took a break due to a finger bruise. It gave Shi another opportunity to find some momentum and he won five points in a row to make it a tighter contest at 18-15.

But Shetty persevered and finally reached match point. The seasoned Shi, the two-time World Championships medallist, brought all his experience into play and made it 19-20. One more point, and he could have spoiled the young Indian’s party.

However, Shetty found the resolve to seal the biggest win of his career. These are the kinds of matches that go a long way in firming up the self-belief that makes champions.

“The support and energy from the crowd boosted me. The way they were standing and cheering, it made me so happy. I have to focus on the next game,” said Shetty.

For now, ahead of the next game, Shetty will probably jot down a new name on the piece of paper beside his bed. As he showed the fans and Shi, it all begins from there.