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Number one Shi suffers shock first-round exit at badminton worlds / Photo: © AFP
Number one Shi suffers shock first-round exit at badminton worlds
Defending champion Shi Yuqi suffered a shock first-round defeat to rising Indian star Ayush Shetty at the world badminton championships in New Delhi on Monday.
World number one Shi of China went down 14-21, 21-13, 19-21 in one hour and 13 minutes to 21-year-old Shetty, who enthralled the home crowd at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
The 30-year-old Shi, who won the previous edition in Paris last year, looked off-colour from the start as the Indian raced to a 11-5 lead and took the first game.
Shi bounced back to take the second game but Shetty -- ranked 22nd in the world -- held his nerve in a tense decider in his debut at the badminton showpiece.
Standing six feet five inches tall (1.95 metres) Shetty relied on his wide reach and clean smashes to outwit his veteran Chinese opponent.
The crowd cheered every Indian point and despite Shi attempting to make a late comeback as he brought the score down to 15-18 from 7-17, Shetty triumphed.
Shetty nailed the winner with a final smash the young Indian pumped his fists and later obliged young fans with selfies and autographs.
- Top-ranked An eases through -
Earlier South Korea's women's number one An Se-young reached the second round with a comfortable win after returning from injury.
Top-ranked An, who was playing her first match after she pulled out of the Japan Open in the second round last month with a foot issue, served past Bulgaria's Kaloyana Nalbantova 21-14, 21-13 in 41 minutes.
"Little bit of pain (in the foot), but I tried to get into a rhythm and I hope to get a good recovery," An told reporters. "Any tournament is not easy for me, but I tried to stay calm."
The badminton champion took her time to find rhythm in the opening game, but soon gained momentum to take control in her first competitive match in about a month.
With scores level at 9-9 in game one, An rattled her opposition with six straight points to seize momentum at 15-9 and never looked back.
An is looking to win her second world title after she claimed the crown in 2023 in Copenhagen.
Indian star P.V. Sindhu cruised past Ireland's Sophia Noble 21-7, 21-11 to keep up her form after she won the Japan Open title last month.
S. Sokolow--BTZ
