BWF World Championships: Ayush Shetty Falls to Familiar Foe Alwi in Pre-Quarterfinals

Ayush Shetty Crashes Out of BWF World Championships After Alwi Loss

Ayush Shetty’s impressive run at the BWF World Championships came to an end on Thursday as the World No. 22 suffered a straight-games defeat to familiar opponent Alwi Farhan in the men’s singles Round of 16 at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.

The Indian, who had stunned World No. 1 Shi Yuqi in the previous round, was unable to reproduce that performance in front of a packed home crowd. He went down 19-21, 11-21 to the Indonesian in a 45-minute contest.

Ayush was aware of Alwi’s biggest strengths—his rapid movement and aggressive attacking game—but struggled to contain both. The Indonesian’s speed became particularly decisive in the second game, when Ayush failed to find any rhythm and was repeatedly put under pressure.

The Indian made a promising start and fought back strongly after trailing 14-18 in the opening game, moving ahead 19-18. However, he could not convert the advantage, allowing Alwi to take the first game 21-19.

Ayush appeared hesitant throughout the contest, especially when dealing with the drift on the court. After a few lifts travelled beyond the baseline, he became reluctant to play them deep, instead leaving Alwi with short returns that the Indonesian attacked relentlessly.

Alwi repeatedly targeted Ayush’s right hip with body smashes, while his speed around the court made it increasingly difficult for the Indian to establish his attacking game.

At the mid-game interval, coach Sagar Chopda advised Ayush that Alwi was pushing him deep before waiting for opportunities at the net. However, the changes failed to turn the match around.

The second game was largely one-sided, with Alwi quickly establishing control and racing to a comfortable victory.

The result was particularly disappointing for Ayush, who had beaten Alwi at the China Open in July and had also reached the final of the Asian Badminton Championships earlier this year.

With Ayush’s exit, India’s men’s singles campaign at the World Championships is over. Lakshya Sen, India’s highest-ranked men’s singles player, had been eliminated by USA’s World No. 92 Garret Tan on Wednesday.

Alwi, meanwhile, remains Indonesia’s sole representative in the men’s singles draw after Jonathan Christie was eliminated by Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke earlier on Thursday.