New Delhi: The BWF World Championships needed a storming start, and India’s blue-eyed shuttler Ayush Shetty delivered just that, sending defending champion and top seed Shi Yuqi of China crashing out 21-14, 13-21, 21-19 in a 73-minute thriller in a Round of 64 clash at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Monday evening. With this win, he announced his grand arrival at the World Championships.

From the time the draw for the Delhi Worlds was announced, this was the most eagerly anticipated clash of the opening day. And it was clear from the outset that it would be a battle of tactics, especially after Ayush’s 8-21, 10-21 loss to Shi in the Badminton Asia Championships final in April.

The 21-year-old Indian came prepared this time around, conquering Court 1 at the IG Indoor Stadium by mastering the drift – exploiting it when it worked in his favour and taming it when it did not.

“I knew it would be a tough match, and I had to work really hard. I was mentally prepared and physically as well,” Ayush said in the mixed zone after ending his three-match losing streak against Shi Yuqi.

Starting on the side facing the wind, Ayush made his strategy clear from the outset and made a brisk start, racing to a 9-5 lead in the opening game. At the interval, playing on the faster side, he led 11-5.

Shi briefly clawed his way back with three points in a row, all coming through flat smashes. Ayush ended the spree with a brilliant net kill and a down-the-line smash.

The drift factor soon became evident. With the shuttle slowing down on Shi’s side, the Chinese struggled to judge Ayush’s high overhead drops. His attempt to push Ayush towards the backcourt also backfired repeatedly, with several of Shi’s shots going wide.

After the match, Ayush, who started the match against the drift, said, “I think it was the better end, I would say. But I think the drift today was really less compared to what I practised. I think it was similar on both sides.”

But the unseeded Indian’s advantage was not merely the side he was playing from. His positional sense was outstanding. At 16-12, he wrong-footed Shi with a cross-court slice and repeated it to draw Shi into the net.

There was a clear strategy to Ayush’s game. He avoided getting dragged into long rallies, keeping Shi away from them. Instead, he used his long reach, greater alertness and variation to frustrate the defending champion. Before reaching game point, he left Shi frozen in the backcourt before unleashing a speedy smash from above seven feet.

Ayush had prepared to rattle Shi with high drops and mighty smashes. It worked. He took the opening game 21-14.

By the second game, it was clear that the drift would play an even bigger role, and how Ayush handled it would determine his fortune.

Even as there were signs of Ayush fighting back, drawing level at 4-4 and then 8-8, Shi began finding the gaps with down-the-line smashes. Whenever Ayush lifted the shuttle, the Chinese threatened with his jump smash; when Shi opted for flatter shots to avoid giving Ayush that opportunity, they proved harder to retrieve.

Shi took an 11-9 lead at the interval and extended his advantage to 15-10 after the break. Ayush briefly fought back to make it 13-17, but the drift continued to work against him. Shi’s flat smashes repeatedly left him unable to make the return, and the Chinese forced a decider by taking the second game 21-13.

The first game showed how effectively Ayush could exploit the wind direction in his favour. The second showed how quickly the same conditions could turn the tide against him. In a match where inches of flight and pace mattered, the drift was becoming as much a factor as the two players themselves.

The third game started evenly, with both players tied at 2-2. Ayush, back on the side against the drift, quickly broke the deadlock with a smash to go 3-2 up, but Shi soon won the net battle to level the board.

Ayush responded with a body smash. When Shi’s shot hit the net, Ayush stretched his lead to 6-3.

Then came a three-point spree for Ayush. A booming jump smash cracked Shi’s defence, followed by another attack after the drift took the shuttle away. Though Shi managed to claim a point, Ayush went 11-5 up at the interval.

And then came the moment everyone had been waiting for, holding their breath: the side change put Ayush on the side where the wind impact was more lethal. But Ayush showed no sign of nerves. He reeled off five points in a row before a net cord ended his march.

Ayush remained firmly in control of the proceedings at 17-6. But just when it seemed like an easy win was within reach for the Indian, Shi staged a stunning comeback nobody saw coming, winning 10 of the last 11 points to reduce the gap to 14-18. Ayush finally broke the deadlock, winning two points in a row to propel himself to match point chance at 20-15.

With first career win against Shi awaiting him, Ayush showed sign of nerve and made a slew of unforced errors, letting Shi to make a stunning comeback at 19-20.

With Indian fans holding their breath and instructions coming for Ayush to calm down and slow the game down, he finally pulled off the stunner of the World Championships, winning the game 21-19 and sealing a breathtaking victory.

Reflecting on his battle in the deciding game, Ayush conceded, “I was telling myself to calm down. I was getting a bit nervous because Shi was really catching up. I was hitting a bit of unforced errors from the faster side.”

After the hard-fought match, Shi credited Ayush for coming prepared for the clash following three heartbreaking losses, with the Badminton Asia Championships final being the most painful for India’s emerging star. “Overall, his preparation for me today was very thorough,” Shi admitted, before adding, “Also, in terms of his own playing style, since our last match, I can feel that his defensive ability and overall patience in long rallies have improved a lot.”