Indian badminton player Ayush Shetty’s journey at the Hylo Open Super 300 tournament came to an end in the men’s singles semifinals, where he was defeated by fourth-seeded French shuttler Christo Popov. Despite a strong start, the world no. 51-ranked Shetty couldn’t keep up with Popov’s pace and ultimately lost i straight games by 17-21, 13-21 on Saturday.
A promising start ends in defeat
Shetty began the match confidently, showing his skill against the higher-ranked Popov, world no. 28. He pushed his opponent hard in the opening game but couldn’t maintain his momentum as the match progressed. This was the first time the two players faced off, with Popov proving stronger in the end, advancing to the final.
Ayush Shetty’s road to the semifinals
Shetty’s path to the semifinals saw some impressive performances. He overcame Finland’s Kalle Koljoen in straight sets, winning 21-18, 21-18 in a close quarterfinal clash. Before that, he dominated Giovanni Toti from Italy with a swift 21-13, 21-9 victory in just 33 minutes, showcasing his potential and strength in the tournament.
Young Indian contingent in action
With India’s top badminton stars like PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy, and Kidambi Srikanth missing from the Hylo Open, the young Indian squad, led by Malvika Bansod, took on the responsibility. Bansod, seeded sixth, is set to face Denmark’s eighth-seeded Julie Dawall Jakobsen later today in the women’s singles semifinals, aiming to carry India’s hopes further in the tournament.
Hylo Open 2024: Indian Squad
The Indian squad at the Hylo Open 2024 included:
- Men’s singles: Ayush Shetty, Tharun Mannepalli, S Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian, Chirag Sen, Sathish Kumar Karunakaran
- Women’s singles: Malvika Bansod, Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj, Keyura Mopati (Qualifier)
- Women’s doubles: Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra
- Mixed doubles: Sathish Kumar Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath
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