India's Ayush Shetty produced one of the biggest upsets of the BWF World Championships 2025 on Monday, 17 August, defeating top seed and defending champion Shi Yu Qi of China 21-14, 13-21, 21-19 in the men's singles first round at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi. The 20-year-old Indian called it the best win of his career — a home debut, a world No. 1 scalp, and a first-ever victory against Shi in four career meetings, all in one afternoon.

How the match unfolded

Shetty came out of the blocks sharply, racing to a 3-0 lead and holding an 11-point advantage at the first interval before closing out the opener 21-14. Shi responded in the second game with a burst of rapid exchanges, eventually winning it 21-13 to force a decider.

In the third game, Shetty again seized early control — moving to 6-3, extending to 9-4, and holding an 11-5 cushion at the break. After the changeover, he appeared to stretch the lead to 16-5, before the world No. 1 launched a tenacious fightback. Shetty reached 20-15, but Shi saved four consecutive match points, tightening the nerves inside a packed stadium. The Indian ultimately held his composure to clinch the deciding point and complete the upset.

Shetty on his game plan and nerves

'I would like it as the top one. At home, World Championship debut, world number one — I think it's a special win and I'm super happy today,' Shetty said after the match. He credited thorough tactical preparation for reversing a trend that had seen him lose all three prior meetings with Shi, including the final of the Badminton Asia Championships.

'We analysed the matches well; tactically I was much better today. I think the last time we played, he outplayed me, but I was prepared for the game,' he said. On the nervy closing stages, Shetty admitted: 'I was a bit desperate to win it. I was a bit close to the finish line, and I think it was a bit of a mess-up on my side. Also, he's world number one; he's never going to give you easy points.'

Medical timeout and crowd factor

Shetty also took a medical timeout during the contest after sustaining a bleeding finger. 'Yeah, I think I was bleeding from my finger — that's why I took a medical timeout,' he confirmed, though he downplayed its impact on momentum: 'He still scored the points, so I think it didn't really matter much. But yeah, I somehow got the belt back.'

The roaring home crowd at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium played a significant role in the closing stages. 'The crowd was really behind me and was giving me the energy. I was a bit tired, but the crowd cheering like that gave me a lot of energy,' Shetty said. Shi Yu Qi had also acknowledged the atmosphere's influence on the contest.

What this means going forward

The result advances Shetty into the Round of 32 and instantly raises expectations around him at a home World Championship. Notably, this is the first time an Indian has beaten Shi Yu Qi at the World Championships. Rather than feeling weighed down by the attention, Shetty appeared energised: 'The pressure is always there even today, but I think I'm more excited and full of energy and really happy to move forward.' All eyes will now be on whether he can sustain this level deep into the draw.