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NDTV
16-07-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Japan Open: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty, Lakshya Sen Progress To Round Of 16
India's top men's singles and doubles contenders advanced to the Round-of-16 at the Japan Open 2025, with Lakshya Sen and the duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty notching straight-game victories in their opening matches on Wednesday. Sen produced a composed performance to defeat China's Wang Zheng Xing 21-11, 21-18, setting up a second-round clash with Japanese star and home favourite Kodai Naraoka, as per a press release from BAI Media. In men's doubles, Satwik and Chirag made a strong start to their campaign, easing past South Korea's Kang Min-hyuk and Ki Dong-ju 21-18, 21-10 to move into the last 16. Elsewhere, PV Sindhu and Unnati Hooda bowed out in the opening round of the women's singles draw. Playing her first match since the Indonesia Open in early June, Sindhu, 16th in the badminton rankings, went down 21-15, 21-14 to the world No. 14 South Korean shuttler in 38 minutes. It was her first defeat to Sim Yu Jin in four meetings. Sindhu made a sluggish start and trailed 9-3 in the opening game. The Indian badminton player fought back to make it 13-12, only for Sim Yu Jin to mount a late surge before taking the lead in the match. The second game followed a similar script with Sim Yu Jin racing to a 6-1 lead. Sindhu clawed her way back to level at 7-7 and later 11-11, but failed to see it through. It marks yet another early exit for Sindhu in what has been a challenging 2025 BWF World Tour season. Her best finish this year remains a quarter-final appearance at the India Open in January, which was followed by four first-round exits and two round of 16 finishes. On the other hand, Unnati Hooda lost to Thailand's Pornpawee Chochuwong 21-8, 21-12. Anupama Upadhyaya and Rakshitha Ramraj will face each other in an all-Indian affair. Men's doubles pair of Hariharan Amsakarunan-Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi and women's doubles duo Kavipriya Selvam-Simran Singhi will also be in the fray. Rutaparna Panda-Swetaparna Panda were knocked out of women's doubles after losing to the Japanese pair of Kokona Ishikawa and Maiko Kawazoe 21-13, 21-7 on Tuesday.
India Today
30-06-2025
- Sport
- India Today
Who is Ayush Shetty? India's 6ft 4in-tall badminton hope wins US Open 2025
A 39-shot rally in the semi-final of the US Open, a Super 300 tournament, spoke volumes about Ayush Shetty's hunger to excel on the big stage against established names. Across the net stood sixth seed Chou Tien Chen, one of the most experienced players on the circuit. Ayush showcased his powerful jump smashes, and his improved ability to retrieve from the front court was evident the third game, the 20-year-old played an excellent drop from the back court, but Chou lunged forward to retrieve it. As Ayush advanced to the net, he attempted a cross-court jab, hoping to catch Chou off balance. However, Chou, with his lightning reflexes, played a passing shot that nearly clinched him the point. But Ayush wasn't ready to give up. Diving backwards from the front court, he somehow managed to return the shot and eventually secured a sensational has been making waves at the highest level over the past couple of years, but the US Open has truly helped him grab headlines. After a hard-fought three-game win over Chou in the semi-final, Ayush clinched his first major title of 2025, defeating Canada's Brian Yang in the final on Sunday. In doing so, he became the first Indian to win a title on the senior tour this year—signalling a bright future He became the toast of the crowd in Iowa, where strong Indian support cheered him throughout the action sees Chou Tien Chen and Ayush Shetty go the distance.#BWFWorldTour #USOpen2025 BWF (@bwfmedia) June 29, 2025'It means a lot—it's my first title on the senior circuit,' Shetty said. 'So I'm really happy. There are a lot of positives to take away. I played some excellent badminton here, and I'm looking forward to the Canada Open next week.'On social media, his tall frame has already drawn comparisons with Olympic champion Viktor clinches maiden BWF Super300 title, winning the US Open 2025!He dismantled Brian Yang in straight games 21-13, 21-18 with commanding flair right from start to the end.A breakthrough triumph that cements his arrival among badminton's elite and marks BAI Media (@BAI_Media) June 29, 2025For the 20-year-old from Mangalore, 2025 has been a breakthrough year. Earlier this season, Shetty reached the semi-finals of the Orleans Masters Super 300, defeating former world champion Loh Kean Yew and Rasmus Gemke along the way. In May, he beat senior compatriot Kidambi Srikanth to reach the semi-finals of the Taipei Shetty began playing badminton at the age of eight, inspired by watching his father play in their backyard. He initially trained under local coaches Subhash and Chetan in Karkala and Mangalore. At the age of 12, his family relocated to Bengaluru so he could access better training. While he continued his education, sport steadily became the greater priority, according to breakthrough came in 2023, when Shetty won bronze at the BWF World Junior Championships in Spokane, USA—becoming only the sixth Indian male singles player to medal at the event. Then ranked No. 1 in India's junior singles, he defeated Japan's Yudai Okimoto in the quarter-finals before losing to Indonesia's Alwi Farhan in the for his power-hitting and court coverage, Shetty has been working diligently to improve his defence. Training at the Prakash Padukone Academy in Bengaluru has certainly paid dividends, with noticeable progress in his all-round dedicating the majority of his time to badminton, Shetty is reportedly pursuing a BSc in Sports Science at Reva University in of June 2025, Shetty is ranked world No. 31 in men's singles—the second-highest ranked Indian after Lakshya Sen. With his maiden senior title secured in the US, fans and pundits alike believe Ayush is a name to watch in the coming years.- EndsYou May Also Like
