Ayush Shetty Shocks Srikanth, Advances to Taipei Open Quarterfinals

In an electrifying match at the Taipei Open 2025, young Indian badminton sensation Ayush Shetty outmaneuvered his compatriot Kidambi Srikanth, punching his ticket to the men's singles quarterfinals. Named by Olympics.com, Shetty, ranked 44th, triumphed over world No. 82 Srikanth with a score of 21-16, 15-21, 21-17 in a contest that spanned just over an hour.

This victory marks the second instance this year that Shetty, 20, has bested Srikanth. Earlier, at the Indonesia Masters in January, he bested Srikanth, who once held the world No. 1 ranking and is a World Championships medallist. In the crucial first game, Srikanth initially led 15-14, but Shetty's impressive six-point streak reversed the momentum. While the second game saw a tight competition, Srikanth eventually claimed it.

The deciding game witnessed another nail-biting finish, deadlocked at 14-all before Shetty ultimately clinched the win, advancing in the BWF Super 300 tournament. On the women's side, Indian player Unnati Hooda powered through her match against Lin Sih-Yun, securing a spot in the quarters after just 27 minutes with scores of 21-12, 21-7.

Ranked 53rd, Hooda is set to face Chinese Taipei's 65th-ranked Hung Yi-Ting in the upcoming round. Conversely, Tharun Mannepalli's campaign ended following a 21-13, 21-9 defeat to Indonesia's Mohammad Zaki Ubaidillah, despite being ranked higher at 56th.

(With inputs from agencies.)