New Delhi, August 19: In an impressive display of skill, India’s Ayush Shetty secured a swift victory against Sri Lanka’s Dumindu Abeywickrama at the BWF World Championship 2026 on Wednesday. The match, held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, ended with scores of 21-8, 21-10, allowing Ayush to progress to the third round.
Ayush completed the match in just 26 minutes. After his win, he expressed his satisfaction, stating, “It was quite an easy victory. I was playing well, and I’m happy to move forward after this win.”
Earlier in the tournament, Ayush achieved a remarkable victory against world number one Shi Yuqi. Reflecting on that match, he said, “I’m trying to forget that win. I wanted to play with full confidence. This is a new round with a new opponent. I was trailing 0-1 in head-to-head matches, so I was well-prepared.”
With this win, Ayush has become the only remaining Indian men’s singles player in the competition, following an unexpected loss for Lakshya Sen in the second round earlier that day.
The 14th seeded Lakshya, who won a bronze medal at the World Championship in 2021, faced a tough battle against the USA’s Garrett Tan. Despite leading in one game, he lost the match after 73 minutes with scores of 19-21, 21-19, 21-17. Despite Lakshya’s defeat, Ayush felt no pressure.
He commented, “Lakshya’s loss is unfortunate, but I will focus more on my game rather than the outcomes of other matches. On your best day, everyone plays well, whether they are in the top 100 or not. Every match is challenging, and you must bring your best every day. Men’s singles is very tough; anyone can win. On a good day, anyone can beat anyone. I will treat every match as a difficult contest and prepare thoroughly.”
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