PV Sindhu and Ayush Shetty Exit World Badminton Championships as Indian Doubles Pairs Advance to Quarterfinals
NEW DELHI — Home hopes in the singles categories suffered a major setback at the World Badminton Championships on Thursday as star shuttler PV Sindhu and promising youngster Ayush Shetty were eliminated in the round of 16. However, India's medal chances remain active in the doubles events, where the pairs of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, alongside Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, produced resilient performances to secure quarterfinal berths.
Sindhu Falls Short in Exhausting Three-Game Thriller
Chasing her sixth career medal at the flagship event on home soil, Hyderabad's PV Sindhu succumbed to a hard-fought defeat against world number three Wang Zhi Yi of China. Competing in her 11th World Championship appearance, the Indian icon lost 11-21, 21-15, 17-21 in a grueling battle that lasted nearly an hour and a half.
The opening game began on equal footing, with both players tied at 7-7 before Wang seized control following a punishing 41-shot rally. Capitalizing on unforced errors from Sindhu, the Chinese player comfortably wrapped up the first game.
Sindhu responded forcefully in the second set. Utilizing sharp cross-court smashes and precise net play, she established an early 3-0 lead and held her ground at 15-13. Despite Wang's efforts to mount a comeback, Sindhu maintained her composure to claim the game and force a decisive third set.
The final game featured intense exchanges, with Sindhu initially building leads of 7-4 and 13-10 through aggressive attacking play. Wang fought back, testing Sindhu's patience with lengthy rallies to level the score at 15-15.
During the closing stages, Wang required a medical timeout due to leg cramps. Despite visible physical distress, the Chinese shuttler persevered through a dramatic 54-shot rally, securing a crucial point when Sindhu hit the shuttle beyond the boundary line to lead 19-17. Struggling under pressure in the final moments, Sindhu sent a smash into the net, handing Wang match point. Wang capitalized on the opening to seal victory, marking her sixth career win over the Indian star.
Youngster Ayush Shetty's Impressive Run Comes to an End
The men's singles campaign also reached its conclusion following the elimination of 21-year-old Ayush Shetty. Having generated widespread attention in the opening round by defeating world number one and defending champion Shi Yuqi, the young Indian was unable to sustain his winning momentum.
Shetty was halted in the last 16 by Indonesia's Alwi Farhan, the 11th seed and world number 12, who secured a straight-games victory of 21-19, 21-11. Although Shetty fought fiercely in a closely contested opening set, his performance waned in the second. The result marked Shetty's fifth defeat in eight encounters against the Indonesian shuttler.
India experienced further disappointment in the mixed doubles event, where the 15th-seeded pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto lost 16-21, 5-21 to China's sixth-seeded duo, Guo Xinwa and Chen Fanghui.
Satwiksairaj and Chirag Fight Back in Thrilling Men's Doubles Contest
In the men's doubles draw, title favorites Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty overcame a tough challenge to reach the quarterfinals. Having received a bye in the first round and a walkover in the second, the fifth-seeded Indian duo registered a dramatic 21-23, 21-19, 21-17 victory over Malaysia's Junaidi Arif and Yap Roy King.
The hard-fought match lasted an hour and 22 minutes. After narrowly dropping the opening game, the Indian pair demonstrated remarkable resolve to sweep the next two sets and secure their spot in the top eight.
Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Stun Japanese Duo
India achieved another impressive victory in the women's doubles draw as the unseeded pair of Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly defeated seventh-ranked Japanese combination Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi. The Indian pair dominated the match from start to finish, recording a convincing 21-16, 21-12 straight-games win.
Treesa, returning to high-level competition following an injury layoff, delivered a commanding performance alongside Gayatri. With this triumph, the pair reached the quarterfinals of the World Championships, becoming the first Indian women's doubles duo to reach this stage since Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa accomplished the feat in 2015.
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