Ayush clinches maiden BWF World Tour title at US Open; Tanvi finishes runner-up
The 20-year-old, a 2023 junior world championships bronze winner, defeated the third seeded Yang 21-18, 21-13 in 47 minutes on Sunday to cap off an impressive week, which included a come-from-behind win against top seed Chou Tien Chen in the semifinals.
It was Shetty's third victory over Yang, having defeated him twice earlier this year at Malaysia and Taipei Open.
In the women's singles final, 16-year-old Tanvi Sharma finished runner-up after a fighting three-game loss to top seed Beiwen Zhang of the United States.
Playing her first World Tour final, the unseeded teenager went down 11-21, 21-16, 10-21 in 46 minutes.
Shetty vs Yang
The men's singles final began evenly with scores tied at 6-6, but Shetty, seeded fourth, surged ahead with a string of winners to lead 11-6 at the interval.
Yang narrowed the gap to 13-11 and drew level at 16-16, but Shetty regained control with well-placed shots to secure the opening game with a decisive jump smash.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
7 hours ago
- India Today
Tall, fierce and focused: Ayush Shetty reminds Viktor Axelsen of his younger self
At 6-foot-4, Ayush Shetty cuts an imposing figure on the badminton court. His lean frame, steep jump smashes, and improved court coverage have caught attention of the world. Many have begun noting the resemblance to Denmark's towering Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen. The comparisons, of course, stop at the surface. While Axelsen has already conquered the sport, Ayush is just beginning to find his footing on the senior circuit. But there's no mistaking it: the 20-year-old from Mangalore is rising, and rising first big marker came at the US Open Super 300 in Iowa this June. In the semi-finals, Shetty faced off against World No. 6 Chou Tien Chen in a gripping three-game encounter. At one point, a 39-shot rally showed just how far Ayush has come: from being known for his aggressive attacking play to now demonstrating resilience, composed play from the back of the court, and mature shot selection. His hustle, including a beyond-believable flick from the back of the court while being off balance, earned him a sensational point and, eventually, a statement action sees Chou Tien Chen and Ayush Shetty go the distance.#BWFWorldTour #USOpen2025 BWF (@bwfmedia) June 29, 2025In the final on Sunday, he beat Canada's Brian Yang to claim his maiden senior international title, making him the first Indian to win a BWF Tour title in It was a breakthrough week for the 20-year-old, who has shown more than once this year that he has the ability to battle with the best at the highest level.'Ayush is from Mangalore, from a middle-class family,' recalls Vimal Kumar, former coach and one of the founders of Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bengaluru, where Ayush now trains.'He moved to Bangalore about seven or eight years ago, when he was still an early teenager. Initially, he was training under Krishna Kumar at I-Sports — a very good feeder in Karnataka. We have an understanding with I-Sports — when players are good, they come and train here because we have better facilities. That's how Ayush came to our academy about five years back.'I-Sports and krishna Kumar got it spot on once again. At PPBA, Ayush thrived. After beginning his badminton journey at the age of eight, inspired by his father, Ayush's training and intensity sharpened. In 2023, he won bronze at the BWF World Junior Championships in Spokane, USA — only the sixth Indian to do so in men's singles.'Ayush was a junior champion and a couple of years ago, he got that World Junior bronze. This year, I feel he's done well on the world stage — at the Orleans Masters, Chinese Taipei... He has beaten players like Loh Kean Yew, Rasmus Gemke and Kidambi Srikanth. That's a good indication,' says VIKTOR AXELSENadvertisementA lot of Ayush's improvement has come through intentional exposure to world-class training.'Last year, before the Olympics, we took him for a three-week training programme in Marseille with Lakshya Sen,' Vimal says."He trained with the Popov brothers — Toma and Christo — and that gave him a lot of confidence. Prior to that, we also sent him to Dubai to train with Viktor Axelsen when Viktor was based there. Viktor was quite impressed. He said, 'Ayush reminds me of my younger days', because both are tall, Ayush is 6'4", just like Viktor.'With that physical presence comes a unique challenge, and a massive opportunity.A GOOD BADMINTON BRAIN'As a tall player, Ayush did face challenges,' admits Vimal. 'Earlier, he was vulnerable defensively, especially when opponents attacked his body or played parallel shots. But this year, he's worked a lot on his defence and improved. He's bridged those areas. He's got a good badminton brain.'That 'badminton brain' has become one of Ayush's defining assets, helping him adapt, mix his game, and not rely only on his power. Against Chou Tien Chen in Iowa, it was clear he could stay in the rallies and not just try to blow opponents off the singles, the net game and defence are vital. He used to only play at the net and try to hit his way out, but players were reading him. Now, he's playing long rallies, lifting to the back, mixing it up. That's important. His smashes are still some of the hardest on the circuit — and if he finds more consistency with his angles, like Viktor, he'll be very hard to beat.'Still, there are a lot of areas to improve. Afterall, Ayush is just beginning to get a feel of what it is to battle against and beat the best.'His core strength and leg stability need work because he's lanky,' Vimal explains. 'Sometimes he hits a bit wild, but with more matches, he'll refine that.'LEARNING TO FLY SOLOIn a bold move, Ayush's team sent him to the North American leg of the season, including the US Open and Canada Open, without a coach or support it was a deliberate call,' Vimal confirmed.'We wanted him to take more responsibility and see how he copes. These days, players have personal coaches and trainers — but this was a good test. We're quite happy he's managing on his own.'That independence is showing. After cracking the world's top 35, Ayush now has a target: break into the top 25 to consistently play Super 500, 750, and 1000-level GOOD COMPANYAt the Padukone Academy, Ayush trains alongside Kiran George and others under the watchful eye of coach Sagar Chopda.'There's been good progress,' Vimal says. 'I was especially pleased with the match he played against Chou Tien Chen — he lost the first narrowly, but came back really well. That shows good temperament. It's not easy to beat a player like Chou.'The Indian men's singles scene is stacked with talent — Lakshya Sen, Kiran George, Priyanshu Rajawat — but Vimal believes it's players like Ayush who now must push through.'At 19-20, you have to do that — like Lakshya did a couple of years ago. We have players stuck in the 30s (ranking), and I hope they come out of that. These four — Ayush, Lakshya, Kiran, Priyanshu — can take over from the current generation.'advertisementThe camaraderie among them is strong. 'Yes, they stay in touch. Today also we exchanged messages after watching his match last night. We told him not to celebrate too much — there are still five matches to go in Canada!' Vimal US Open title has marked him as India's next big hope. The Viktor Axelsen references may keep surfacing — but Ayush isn't chasing them. His real challenge begins now: building the mental resilience to block out the noise, the consistency to deliver week after week, and the hunger to keep he's not doing it alone. With a strong support system and a sharp group of peers around him, Ayush has all the tools to build on the spark that he has showed over the last couple of Vimal Kumar puts it: 'He's slowly maturing. I'm happy that at 20, he's won his first tournament and beaten good players. If he finds consistency, I am sure he will win a lot more medals for the country.'- Ends
Indian Express
9 hours ago
- Indian Express
Badminton: Ayush Shetty interview – ‘Practising with Viktor Axelsen, I realised it wasn't just about attack, he has a great defense'
Ayush Shetty's US Open victory – after a lean patch for Indian men's singles on the BWF World Tour – could be the start of some surprising results. Shetty, and Sathish Kumar Karunakaran, bring the power game to badminton courts, to go alongside Lakshya Sen, Priyanshu Rajawat, Kiran George and Tharun Mannepalli. But it was a cause of personal glee for Shetty as he won the Super 300 title in Iowa, because curiously, he had never won a seniors title even domestically. The 20-year-old 6-foot-4 talks about the title victory in USA, and how his big game developed in the tall canopy of sparring alongside Viktor Axelsen and under watchful coaching eyes in Bengaluru. What is the significance of the US Open Super 300 title? Ayush Shetty: It makes me really happy because not only is it my first title on the World Tour. It's my first title-ever in seniors. I've never won anything before, even nationally. I had lost in semis in tournaments three times, and losing to Chou Tien Chen was the toughest to handle at Taipei Open. Beating him (World No 6) in the semis here (at Iowa's Council Bluffs) felt good. You led 19-14 in the opener against Chou in semis and lost the first set from there (before winning 21-23, 21-15, 21-14). How, and why? Ayush Shetty: First game, I had a very good lead of 5 points, so losing from there was very tough. He had the momentum. I just told myself, 'hang in there.' After pulling back the second, I gained in confidence. I have previously lost matches after losing leads because it makes a huge difference in how you see the match. But this time I was just too focused, so next set was easy. It wasn't an easy path to final. Against Magnus (Johannessen) in the first match, I hadn't adapted completely to conditions and made many unforced errors. I somehow pulled it off. Against former junior world champion Kuo Kuan Lin, again I was down 18-20 but managed to win (22-20, 21-9). Is it tougher playing against compatriots like Tharun Mannepalli (in Round 2)? (Shetty is 2-1 vs Kidambi Srikanth, 2-0 vs Tharun, 1-0 vs Sankar Muthusamy Subramaniam, but 0-4 against fellow tall shuttler Sathish Karunakaran) Ayush Shetty: Playing Indians can be very tricky. Especially Tharun is in good form now. It was very windy on court against him that day, and one side was hard to manage. He was defending well. But I'd played him twice recently, so I was confident. I varied my attack with drops and half smashes, and was very happy with how I opened up the game in the second. Talk about your signature crosscourt smash that booms down from 6 feet 4 height. Ayush Shetty: That cross-court smash is easily my favourite stroke, and it came naturally to me. But earlier, I used to use it very often, like for every second stroke. I've learnt to use it wisely now, only on crucial points. (It showed up at 18-18 in a close first set and later on championship point). What's cool about being this tall? And what's not all that cool? Ayush Shetty: The good thing about being 6'4″ is definitely that everyone else thinks it's an advantage (laughs). But there are disadvantages also. You are slower than others and have to be strong on your legs. Front-court movements are especially difficult, though from the back court, hitting strokes is an advantage. How did your strong net game develop? Ayush Shetty: My dribble was always good on the net. But I used to pick shuttles very low earlier. In the last one year training at PPBA, the biggest improvement is that I'm catching the shuttle high and striking early at the net. Your game is often compared to Viktor Axelsen's (he too is 6'4″) and you have also trained with him. What did you learn most from him? Ayush Shetty: When I practiced with him, initially I always thought he is a great player because of his attack. But watching him I realised he also has a great defense and that was when I started working hard on my defense. Because you need excellent defense, just attack doesn't help. Did you grow up idolising him or Lin Dan or anyone else? Ayush Shetty: I was a huge fan of Lee Chong Wei always. He was just too fast and had a great attack. I think Lee Zii Jia has the best backhand currently. Though my whipped backhand is natural, I do try to play a little like him. But reaching that level is still far away. I have always wanted to beat Chou Tien Chen, and after finally beating him, it was very nice of him to say 'Good job' to me. What's the goal for 2025 and long term? Ayush Shetty: To break into Top 20 or 25 in 2025. But my biggest dream is to win the All England. I've never been there but I've imagined it often. Olympics, of course, is everyone's dream. How has the support from the family been? Ayush Shetty: I come from Mangalore and I can't put my family's support into words. My Dad has had to stay alone which was tough while my mother and sister moved to Bengaluru with me because I had to train here. Even back then we had to travel 60 km by train. The early years were challenging but we didn't know much about the international circuit, so I didn't feel I was missing out on anything because all my focus was on All India events. Thinking about internationals was out of the question. What do you miss about Mangalore? Ayush Shetty: Family. Friends. And neer dosa with chicken. When I'm not playing I like to talk to my friends and spend time with them.
Time of India
16 hours ago
- Time of India
Teen talent Tanvi Sharma aims higher after US Open runner-up finish
**EDS: THIRD PARTY IMAGE** In this image via Badminton Photo, India's Tanvi Sharma celebrates after winning a point against Ukraine's Polina Buhrova during her women's singles semi-final match at the US Open 2025 badminton tournament, in Iowa, USA. (Badminton Photo/Yves Lacroix via PTI Photo)(PTI06_29_2025_000030B) Bengaluru: Tanvi Sharma, 16, signalled the arrival of a new force in Indian women's badminton with a runner-up finish at the 2025 US Open Super 300 in Iowa on Sunday. The talent from Punjab showcased grit and flair throughout the tournament, registering wins over opponents ranked 23, 58, 50 and 40 in the world, before going down fighting to Beiwen Zhang in a gripping final. Topseeded Zhang won 21-11, 16-21, 21-10. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Although Tanvi missed out on the title, the unseeded youngster made history, becoming the youngest from the country to reach a BWF World Tour Final. 'I've worked on my endurance and that's paid off. I'm very proud of myself, but I have a lot more to achieve. I want to replicate this performance in Super 750, 1000, and 500 tournaments,' the elated youngster told TOI from Iowa. Tanvi, who is now looking forward to the Asian Junior Championships next month, dominated higher-ranked opponents in the competition with her deceptive playing style, often drawing her opponents to the net before sending down crosscourt smashes to leave the experienced players second-guessing. Tanvi entered the final without dropping a game. Tanvi, who idolises PV Sindhu, has set her sights on the 2028 La Olympics. 'I want to win gold at the LA Olympics!' Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
