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Young India shuttler Ayush Shetty, a 2023 World Junior Championships bronze medallist, is all set to face his compatriot Kidambi Srikanth in the Round of 16 of the Taipei Open 2025. The youngster stunned Taiwan’s Lee Chia Hao, who holds the 13th spot in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Rankings. It was Ayush’s first encounter with the Taiwanese shuttler. Srikanth, a silver medallist in the 2021 World Championships, is expected to get stiff competition from the 20-year-old and noting that, the star Indian shuttler will have to be disciplined in the upcoming contest.
Kidambi has been troubled by injuries and slumped form for the last few months. His plummeted performance catapulted him to the 61st spot in the BWF World Rankings. The veteran played 14 tournaments in the previous season and delivered his best in the 2024 Swiss Open, concluding the tournament in the semi-final. Ayush, on the other hand, had a notable tournament as he reached Orleans Masters’ semi-final in March 2025. Talking about their head-to-head record, both Indian players previously faced each other only once with Shetty standing tall against the veteran. The meeting happened between both in January 2025 at Indonesia Masters qualifiers where Shetty clinched a 21-7, 21-15 victory against Srikanth.
Kidambi Srikanth’s composure helps him get better of S Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian
Srikanth displayed composure to start his campaign in the ongoing tournament with victory. He held his nerves and recorded straight set victories against his fellow Indian player S Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian. The 32-year-old registered 21-16, 21-15 figures in the game.
Noting Srikanth’s sensational show against Subramaniam and Ayush’s stunning performance against Chia Hao, it will be interesting to witness whether the veteran will succeed in settling scores with Ayush in the upcoming game to be held at Taipei Arena on May 8.
