Orleans Masters: Ayush Shetty Shocks Former World Champion; Prannoy Advances to Second Round
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Synopsis
Ayush Shetty shocks Loh Kean Yew at the Orleans Masters, while Prannoy secures his spot in the second round. The tournament saw mixed results for Indian players in both men's and women's singles, as well as mixed doubles.
Key Takeaways
- Ayush Shetty defeats former World Champion Loh Kean Yew.
- Prannoy advances after a tough match against Wang Tzu Wei.
- Mixed results for Indian players in women's singles.
- Rohan Kapoor and G. Ruthvika Shivani win in mixed doubles.
- Injuries and tough matches impact other Indian competitors.
Orleans (France), March 5 (NationPress) – In a remarkable display of talent, 19-year-old Ayush Shetty from India stunned ex-World Champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore with a decisive victory in the men's singles Round of 32 at the Orleans Masters badminton championship. Shetty triumphed in straight games, winning 21-17, 21-9 in just 36 minutes during this BWF World Tour Super 300 event held at the Palais des Sports.
Ayush, a right-handed player who clinched a bronze medal at the World Junior Championships in 2023, began strongly with a 4-1 lead in the first game. Although Loh managed to narrow the gap to 4-3, Ayush quickly regained control, establishing a lead of 18-13 before finishing the game 21-17. The second game saw Ayush dominate, racing to an 11-2 advantage and ultimately winning 21-9, marking a significant milestone in their inaugural match-up.
It was a mixed day for India, as the seasoned H.S. Prannoy also secured a victory, overcoming World No. 24 Wang Tzu Wei of Chinese Taipei in three games. Prannoy, who was pivotal in India's 2022 Thomas Cup victory, won with scores of 21-11, 20-22, 21-9 in a match lasting 60 minutes. Meanwhile, his compatriot Kiran George faced a defeat against Jia Heng Jason Teh of Singapore, losing 21-15, 16-21, 10-21 in just over an hour in another Round of 32 match on Court 3.
In women's singles, Malvika Bansod retired due to injury while trailing 6-21, 5-21 in her opening match, and Unnati Hooda was eliminated after losing to top-seed and World No.1 An Se Young of South Korea, with scores of 9-21, 15-21.
In mixed doubles, Rohan Kapoor and G. Ruthvika Shivani fought hard to defeat Ye Hong Wei and Nicole Gonzales Chan from Chinese Taipei with a scoreline of 20-22, 24-22, 21-16 in a thrilling first-round match that lasted an hour. However, another mixed doubles pair, Ashith Surya and Amrutha Prathumesh, were defeated by Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei of Malaysia, with scores of 10-21, 15-21.
