Ayush Shetty Claims First BWF World Tour Title at US Open Super 300

Ayush Shetty's Historic Victory

Emerging badminton star Ayush Shetty achieved a significant milestone by securing his inaugural BWF World Tour title with a decisive win against Canada's Brian Yang in the men's singles final at the US Open Super 300, marking the end of India's title drought this season.

The 20-year-old, who previously earned a bronze medal at the 2023 junior world championships, triumphed over the third-seeded Yang with scores of 21-18, 21-13 in just 47 minutes on Sunday, capping off a remarkable week that included a comeback victory against top seed Chou Tien Chen in the semifinals.

This victory marked Shetty's third win over Yang, having previously defeated him twice earlier this year at the Malaysia and Taipei Opens.

In the women's singles final, 16-year-old Tanvi Sharma finished as the runner-up after a hard-fought three-game match against top seed Beiwen Zhang from the United States.

Sharma, who was unseeded and playing in her first World Tour final, lost with scores of 11-21, 21-16, 10-21 in 46 minutes.

Match Highlights: Shetty vs Yang

The men's singles final started with both players evenly matched at 6-6, but Shetty, seeded fourth, quickly took control, leading 11-6 at the interval with a series of impressive winners.

Yang managed to close the gap to 13-11 and even leveled the score at 16-16, but Shetty regained his momentum with precise shots, ultimately winning the first game with a powerful jump smash.

In the second game, the Mangalore-based player jumped to a 7-2 lead, and although Yang briefly caught up, Shetty maintained his composure, skillfully mixing his shots and showcasing solid defense to keep his opponent at bay.

With a 17-12 lead, Shetty finished the match with a cross-court punch followed by a strong smash, securing his first World Tour title.

Shetty had previously reached the finals of the 2023 Odisha Masters Super 100 tournament and also made it to the finals at the 2023 Bahrain International and the 2024 Dutch Open.

Match Highlights: Sharma vs Zhang

In the women's singles final, Sharma struggled to find her rhythm early on as Zhang established an 11-5 lead in the first game, which Sharma was unable to overcome.

However, in the second game, Sharma adopted an aggressive strategy, taking a 4-0 lead and maintaining her advantage despite Zhang's attempts to push her with long rallies.

After leading 11-9 at the interval, Sharma continued her offensive play, forcing errors from Zhang and winning the game to push the match into a deciding game.

Unfortunately, Sharma ran out of steam in the third game, as Zhang surged ahead to an 11-4 lead at the break and comfortably closed out the match to claim the title.