India's Ayush Shetty staged a major upset on Day 1 of the BWF World Championships, eliminating the world no. 1 and defending champion Shi Yu Qi of China with a dramatic 21-14, 13-21, 19-21 win in the nail-biting men's singles opening round match here on Monday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
It was Ayush's first win over the world no. 1 Chinese in four meetings. Before Monday, the Indian had lost all of his three matches against the Shi, the latest being the Badminton Asia Championship final, where he was outclassed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Ayush made a blistering start against top seed Shi in the day’s most compelling first-round singles clash, storming to an early 3-0 lead. Maintaining his intensity, he expanded his advantage to 11-5 at the mid-game interval. Upon resumption, the Indian shuttler kept complete control, comfortably closing out the opening game 21-14.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Shi responded aggressively in the second game, taking a quick 3-1 lead. Ayush swiftly narrowed the gap, but the Chinese star reclaimed his two-point cushion. In a fast-paced tug-of-war, Ayush levelled the score at 4-all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Shi continued to press hard, but Ayush stood his ground, levelling again at 7-all before edging ahead by a point. Following a series of gruelling exchanges where the lead repeatedly changed hands, Shi managed to head into the interval with an 11-9 advantage.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
After the break, Shi extended his cushion to two points and quickly widened it to five. Despite gifting Ayush a few points with wide shots, Shi maintained a firm five-point lead. Ayush struggled to counter the top seed's momentum as Shi wrapped up the second game 21-13 to force a decider.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The final game began on even terms, but Ayush regrouped brilliantly, pulling ahead 6-3 and then 9-4. He carried a commanding 11-5 lead into the mid-game interval, taking charge of the match.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
After the break, Shi extended his cushion to two points and quickly widened it to five. Despite gifting Ayush a few points with wide shots, Shi maintained a firm five-point lead. Ayush struggled to counter the top seed's momentum as Shi wrapped up the second game 21-13 to force a decider.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Ayush sustained his momentum to hold a 10-point cushion, though a few unforced errors allowed Shi to trim the deficit to six and eventually four points. Digging deep under pressure, Ayush held firm at 20-15. Shi fought valiantly to save four of them, but Ayush held his nerve on the final point to secure a monumental victory.<\/p>\r\n\r\n