Ayush Shetty wins US Open for India's first title of 2025
The deadlock ended when the 20-year-old Shetty stood on the top step of the podium in Council Bluffs, Iowa on Sunday after winning the $240,000 US Open men's singles crown.
The second highest ranked Indian shuttler after Lakshya Sen (world No.20), the world No.34 took just 47 minutes to beat third seed Brian Yang 21-18, 21-13 in the final which earned him his third straight victory over the Canadian and the first title of his young senior career.
'He has been showing progress this year. If you look at his performances at the Orleans Masters and Taipei Open (he reached both the semis), he did well. In fact, he has beaten some top-level players like (former world champion) Low Kean Yew and Rasmus Gemke. He has been hitting some good form against top players,' Shetty's coach U Vimal Kumar told HT from Bengaluru.
'But at the US Open, beating (world No.6) Chou Tien Chen, especially in the semi-finals, was very creditable. He could have won in two games because he was up 19-14 in the first game. From there, he lost 23-21. He came back well where I really liked the way he attacked.'
Playing in the USA has proved lucky for the lanky Shetty. It was in the US two years back that Shetty first made the headlines when he clinched bronze at the 2023 World Junior Championships. He also made the finals of the Odisha Masters and Bahrain International (both in 2023).
Last year, having fully made his move to the senior level, Shetty decided to take part in only lower tier events, making the quarter-finals and semi-finals regularly, and eventually the final at the 2024 Dutch Open. But this year Shetty started playing higher tier events on the BWF World Tour, having the belief of not just challenging but also surprising some of the higher ranked players.
'He is 6'4'. So, he has very, very steep smashes. That unsettles many players. That is one of his strengths. He is also quite good at the net. His defence has improved in the last three or four months as he has consciously been working on it,' added Vimal, who is also a national selector.
'He has really shown some good improvement. I am quite pleased with the way he is playing now. He is making a mark with the title at the world stage. I am quite happy for him.'
A product of the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) in Bengaluru, Shetty trains with Sen, Kiran George and Manraj Singh, among others. After clinching the Super 300 title, he will next take part in this week's $240,000 Canada Open in Markham, also a Super 300 event, where he is seeded fifth and faces compatriot S Sankar Muthusamy in the opener.
'I told him that it is not finished, that he has to try and win the Canada Open too, asking him to remain focused. He has got five more matches to go. I hope he can continue to perform well in the next event as well. The target we have given him is to come into the top 25 by the end of the year,' added Vimal.
Tanvi loses in final
It was end of the road for 16-year-old Tanvi Sharma, who delivered standout performances the entire week before losing in the women's singles final to top seed and local favourite Beiwen Zhang. India's world No.66 lost 11-21, 21-16, 10-21 in 46 minutes, ending a run that featured some fearless performances as she beat players ranked Nos.23, 40, 50 and 58 en route to the final.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Sara Tendulkar recalls Australia memories, reveals why she never pursued cricket
For most of her childhood, Sara Tendulkar's connection with Australia was shaped by the rhythm of her father Sachin Tendulkar's cricketing tours. Today, years later, those personal memories are coming full circle as she steps into the spotlight in her own right as the new face of Tourism Australia's Come and Say G'day campaign for Indian campaign, which has already found global success with its animated mascot Ruby the Souvenir Kangaroo, marks one of Sara's first major brand collaborations. For her, though, the association is more than symbolic. Australia, she says, has been part of her life story for as long as she can my dad playing and travelling to Australia so much... The first time I visited Australia was in 1999. Ever since, I have visited the country once every four years. I have a lot of childhood memories there, and they were always very happy,' Sara told India Today on Wednesday, 20 August. 'My brother and I were very thrilled. We didn't get to see our dad too much because he was always travelling for cricket. When we would go there, we would be very happy to spend as much time with him,' she 27, fondly recalled spending New Year's Eves in Sydney with her father and the rest of the Indian cricket team. 'I distinctly remember spending New Year's Eve in Australia in Sydney, the ones we were there when we visited every four years. We would spend New Year's Eve on a boat with the whole team. That's something I will never forget,' she MYSELF TO GULLY CRICKETShe also spoke of her frequent visits to the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground during her younger years. Just last December, she was spotted cheering for India during the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, an experience that gave her a new appreciation of its atmosphere.'When I was young, I don't think I realised the significance of the MCG. But now, when I went back, all those memories came rushing back,' she said, reflecting on how her understanding of the stadium's importance has grown with time. Even with such intimate proximity to cricket, Sara is clear the sport was never on her horizon. 'Never. It's been my brother's forte. I have played gully cricket, but never thought about it.'She might have countless favourite memories of her father's iconic knocks, but the most vivid, Sara says, is of his farewell to the game in 2013.'If I have to pick one vivid memory, then I would pick his retirement match. I was old enough to really understand what that meant at that point. When I was younger, I went for the games, but I never really grasped the enormity of them.'Stepping into the limelight in her own way has also meant learning to navigate public attention. Sara credits her father for grounding her with advice that continues to guide her. 'He always told me that when I have freedom and independence, I should always be responsible. That's something that I have tried to follow when I left for college.'Her association with Tourism Australia reflects just that balance: personal history meeting new opportunities. The tourism board, which has identified India as one of its fastest-growing markets, has launched the second phase of its campaign tailored for Indian travellers, placing Sara at the centre as someone who has lived those experiences herself.- Ends
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
AIFF's government funding slashed by half as Sports Ministry awards massive hike to yoga
Football has been among the biggest losers in Indian sport when it comes to receiving government funding, its allocation coming down to Rs 8.78 crore from Rs 15 crore in 2022-23 and Rs 30 crore in 2019-20. Yoga, on the other hand, has received a hike of nearly 400 per cent from the sports ministry. While Indian football has been among the biggest losers in terms of government funding, yoga has received a major push. PTI Yoga emerged the biggest beneficiary of the Government of India's allocation of budget for various sports, receiving a hike of nearly 400 per cent compared to what it was receiving in 2022-23. Football, a sport that is perceived to be in a state of crisis in the cricket-mad nation, were in for another blow with their financial assistance slashed by half. Sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya revealed the figures during the ongoing monsoon session of the parliament, responding to a question from BJP MP Sadanand Tanavade in the Rajya Sabha. Besides yoga and football, table tennis received a 50 per cent hike while athletics received a minor reduction in their assistance. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Yogasana India had been receiving Rs 1.3 crore in 2022-23, but are now set to receive Rs 4.89 crore – which is close to the Rs 5.2 crore that has been set aside for the All India Chess Federation. At the same time, it will be getting a higher share of the government funding pie compared to basketball (Rs 4.75 crore in 2024-25), volleyball (Rs 4.39 crore) and squash (Rs 4.45 crore). 'As a federation, we started getting funding very recently from the government. Unlike many other sports that have come to India from abroad, we are taking India's heritage to the world. For that, we need to do substantial work,' Yogasana India president Udit Sheth was quoted by The Indian Express as saying. The Kalyan Chaubey-led All India Football Federation – which currently finds itself mired in crisis over the fate of the Indian Super League – witnessed its government funding reduced by nearly half from Rs 15 crore in 2022-23 to Rs 8.78 crore in 2024-25. This is, after all, the same sport that used to receive Rs 30 crore from the Centre not too long ago (2019-20). Athletics and boxing have had minor reductions as well. The allocation for the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) currently stands at Rs 26 crore from Rs 30 crore in 2022-23 while the corresponding figure for the Boxing Federation of India stands at Rs 22 crore from Rs 24 crore in 2022-23. Yoga is a demonstration sport at next year's Asian Games in Japan and will also likely be included in the 2030 Commonwealth Games should India win the hosting rights for the event. The push in the yoga budget might have been made keeping this events in mind.
India.com
2 hours ago
- India.com
Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma retired from ODI Cricket? ICC leaves fans in SHOCK by...
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. (PIC - X) New Delhi: Two great Indian players, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli disappeared from the latest ICC rankings released on Wednesday, August 20. From this news, there is a big wave of questions by fans over Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's retirement in ODIs. Both these players, who have retired from Test and T20I, were removed from the ICC ODI rankings. A week ago, Rohit Sharma was in second place in the ODI rankings. On the other hand, Virat Kohli was in fourth place with 736 points. In the latest ODI rankings, Shubman Gill has reached the top with 756 points. Where is Babar Azam in the list? Babar Azam is now at number two in the current ICC rankings. The absence of Rohit and Virat's names in the top 100 is probably being considered a flaw in the ICC system. Because both the legendary players are currently active players in ODIs. When did Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli perform last in ODI? Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli last played an ODI in February 2025 in the Champions Trophy in the UAE. Rohit played a brilliant innings in the final of the tournament and led India to the ICC ODI trophy for the first time in a decade. How was Virat Kohli's performance in the Champions Trophy 2025? On the other hand, Kohli had performed brilliantly in the group stage of the tournament. He handled the India innings in the difficult conditions of the Dubai International Stadium. Teams like New Zealand and Australia gave a tough fight to the Indian team. Story Highlights Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's names disappeared from the ICC Men's ODI batting Rankings list. Babar Azam is now at number two in the current ICC rankings Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli performed brilliantly in the ODI matches A week ago, Rohit Sharma was on second and Virat Kohli on fourth in the ICC Men's ODI batting Rankings list.
