Ayush Shetty produces a stunning comeback to defeat World No.1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn and storm into the Badminton Asia Championships final, becoming only the second Indian man in history to achieve the feat.
Ayush Shetty scripted a historic comeback to defeat World No. 1 and defending champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn 10-21, 21-19, 21-17 on 11 April 2026, reaching the men's singles final of the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China. After a dominant 21-10 start by Vitidsarn, the World No. 25 Indian regrouped to take the second game 21-19 and then maintained a steady lead in the decider to finish 21-17.
Shetty is only the second Indian man to reach the Badminton Asia Championships singles final, following Dinesh Khanna, who won gold in 1965.
Shetty also defeated 3 of the top 10 players to reach the finals. He emerged victorious against Li Sheng Fen (World No. 7) in the first round, Jonathan Christie (World No. 4) in the quarter finals and Kunlavut Vitidsarn (World No. 1) in the semi finals. Shetty will face China's Shi Yuqi (World No. 2) in the gold medal match.
By reaching the final, Shetty has already assured himself of at least a silver medal.
Aditya Shetty to face Shi Yuqi third time this year
Shetty will face China's Shi Yuqi (World No. 2) in the men's singles final of the Badminton Asia Championships 2026 on Sunday, 12 April 2026 in Ningbo, China. Shi Yuqi secured his place in the final by defeating Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei 21-18, 21-14 in their semi-final clash. Shetty faces a significant challenge against the second seed, trailing 0-1 in their career head-to-head record.
In the Malaysia Open in January 2026 Shi Yuqi won 21-18, 18-21, 21-12 in a 70-minute encounter where Shetty was praised for his temperament against the world elite. In India Open in January 2036, Shetty again faced upset as Shi Yuqi won by 21-19, 18-21, 21-19,
After struggling with a back injury in late 2025, Shetty is reportedly playing the best badminton of his career, supported by a sports psychologist to manage the pressure of high-profile finals.Reporters noted that Shetty has been working with a psychologist to manage expectations and remained calm even when line calls went against him earlier in the week.At 6'5", Shetty used his reach to retrieve shots that would have been winners against most other players, rattling Vitidsarn’s confidence in his own attacking options.
