Ayush Shetty won his first BWF World Tour title, lifting the US Open Super 300 with solid, straight-games win over Brian Yang and ending India’s BWF title drought in 2025.
The 20-year-old was impressively level-headed and sharp in the final, beating the higher-ranked Canadian 21-18, 21-13 in 47 minutes. This came a day after terrific comeback win over top seed Chou Tien Chen.
Tanvi Sharma’s fantastic tournament, however, ended with a runner up finish after a three-game battle against top seed Beiwen Zhang which she lost 11-21, 21-16, 10-21 in 46 minutes. The unseeded 16-year-old, who was playing her first World Tour final, faded after forcing a decider. She couldn’t keep up with the physicality after a gruelling week, but it was one that showed what tremendous potential she has for the future of Indian badminton.
The men’s singles final started on an even keel till 6-6 before Shetty took the lead when Yang overhit and brilliantly extended it to 9-6, with a superbly angled floater. The Indian went into the interval at 11-6 , winning five straight points to set the tone for the match.
Yang reduced the lead to 13-11 and the match got much cagier in the second half with multiple errors. The third seed Yang caught up at 16-16, which was the Shetty’s moment of jeopardy but he won the next few crucial points with well-placed shots.
The difference between them was just a point before Shetty got to game point with a stunning jump smash winner on the line and held his nerve well to convert.
With his variations, defence and smart shot selection, he maintained his lead 17-12 and didn’t allow Yang to build any rhythm on his attempts to attack. Shetty got to seven championship points with a deft one-two, cross-court punch and needed just the one to win in style — a snazzy, smash winner.
His celebration was rather sedate, but after many near-misses for India’s most consistent men’s singles player this year, a World Tour title seems like a natural progression.
