‘Many learnings from this’: Ayush Shetty’s silver run reveals last-mile challenge

Ayush’s new training buddy PV Sindhu could tell him similar stuff about Olympic finals – stars just don’t align that often even if you start at 20-21.

Ayush’s clump of unforced errors in the first game of the final might get glossed over because he’s had a sensational week. But making that chance count mattered plenty, and just reaching the final could never be a reason to be content, just because he’s only 20.

Ayush Shetty (L) wins silver in his maiden Badminton Asia Championships appearance. (Credit: Badminton Asia Championships)

Shi Yuqi is perhaps China’s most complete and classical player in men’s singles since Lin Dan. The fluidity in his movement, his anticipation and clean stroke-making make him difficult to bully with power. He retrieves smoothly and has a dependable no-frills smash-kill that works on placement and angles.

Ayush also lapsed into tactical anarchy himself – letting go of the discipline he had kept through the week. Maybe, he was exhausted or nervous, maybe he believed he had come far enough, or more likely, maybe Shi Yuqi crowded him with precision, with 90 percent of his winners coming straight as arrows, unafraid of battling in the middle of the court.

Ayush trailed 0-4 at the start when the Chinese sent three body smashes, all parried by Ayush, and the fourth that went to the flanks while he was reeling from the attack.

“I’m a bit disappointed with the final. I really wanted to have a great match,” Ayush told the Badminton Association of India, “… but Shi Yuqi was by far the better player today. He really kept the pressure going. And he never really let me come back into the match.”

Error-prone

But a whole lot of blame lay at Ayush’ door. Once he smashed so far wide, the shuttle went well beyond the sideline. His lifts kept landing long as he seemed in a daze. The experienced Chinese, a decade older than the Indian and who had waited years for his first World title, was gliding around the court, and controlling the tempo and orientation of rallies, as Ayush fell behind 8-19.

Two Shi Yuqi smashes towards the end had Ayush nowhere in the frame, and he shanked the last shuttle of the game so far wide, the body language was a giveaway.

Still, he had fought back from 21-10 in the semis, and took a 7-2 lead in the second. But the Chinese had no intention of blinking or allowing himself to be razed down. He pulled five points back with patience and smarts, and that seemed to boggle Ayush, who once more resumed his wild, erratic smashing. It was possibly the worst execution of the cliched advice of, ‘Just go out there, play freely and enjoy the occasion.’ Ayush wasn’t lacking in effort, but looked tight and error-prone.

“There were definitely many learnings from this. I need to work on my endurance and strength. And the variations from the back,” he said.

At 8-13 came the longest rally, in which the Chinese prevailed. Out of desperation, Ayush raised his pace when he fell back 9-16 but the rigour to build the rhythm was gone, and he did the classic big attacker’s thing of trying to hit his way out, spraying many in the process. He was diving in defence alright, but not setting up his attack.

A fight that broke out in the stands over Shi Yuqi’s flung sweat-soaked shirt lasted longer than any tug of war on the court. A fifth straight good match turned out to be too big a task for the debutant.

However it has been a breakthrough week for the Indian youngster, jumping seven places to 18 in the world rankings.

“I had a tough draw from the beginning so I was really happy with the way I played. I think it was a really good week for me. I had some great wins. Really proud of the way I played throughout this week,” he said.