Star Indian men’s singles shuttler Ayush Shetty was yet again the star of the show as he thrashed All England champion Lin Chun-Yi 21-16, 21-17 to take India to the semifinals of the Thomas Cup, with Lakshya Sen and the men’s doubles duo of Satwik-Chirag registering wins earlier.
India will take on either Japan or France in the semifinals, having registered a 3-0 win over Chinese Taipei.
Lakshya, who trailed for most of his contest against Chou Tien-chen, displayed brilliant resilience to script an 18-21, 22-20, 21-17 win in a marathon clash lasting one hour and 28 minutes.
World No. 4 duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the Asian Games champions, then beat Chiu Hsiang Chieh and Wang Chi-Lin 23-21, 19-21, 21-12 in a match lasting one
hour and 15 minutes, putting India in a commanding position.
The onus then shifted to Ayush and the youngster delivered.
The 20-year-old, who finished runner-up at the Badminton Asia Championships, delivered a brilliant performance, combining disciplined defence with attacking flair to register a 21-16, 21-17 victory over Lin Chun-yi in the second singles and seal the contest.
The win against Chinese Taipei assured India a medal in the prestigious Thomas Cup Finals as well, regarded as the World Men’s Team Championships.
India had won the Thomas Cup in 2022, besides winning bronze medals in 1952, 1955 and 1979.
With their head-to-head locked at 4-4 coming into the match, Lakshya and Chou were involved in another gripping duel, highlighted by long rallies, precise stroke-play and dramatic momentum shifts.
Chou displayed his experience in the opening game, recovering from 10-15 down and overturning a late deficit to take the lead.
Lakshya, however, rose to the occasion in the second game. Trailing 13-17, he surged back with four successive points to level the score. Chou then earned two match points, but Lakshya held his nerve, saving both before sealing the game to force a decider.
