There’s nothing quite like a big booming smash kill in men’s singles badminton, and India’s newest men’s singles breakthrough, Ayush Shetty, a towering 6’4″ contender, boasts of what coach Vimal Kumar calls an absolute ‘bullet’. Like Viktor Axelsen and to a lesser extent, Li Shifeng and Lee Zii Jia, the Mangalorean has a downward hit that can impale the games of opponents.
In winning the US Open at Council Bluffs late on Sunday, the 20-year-old out-gunned jump-smashing Brian Yang of Canada 21-18, 21-13. Yang threw everything at Shetty, who calmly defended and then, with a full-blooded cross-court magnum smash, muted all resistance.
Shetty’s coaches reckon that the World No.34 will send shivers down many spines with that imperious attack, and start troubling the big names.
Shetty had already beaten Loh Kean Yew and Kidambi Srikanth and in the semis in Iowa, shot down Chou Tien Chen, all bonafide Top Tenners.
“He can beat any player. With his game, he has nothing to fear,” says Vimal, adding that Asian opponents – all of Chinese, Koreans and Malaysians – tend to be vulnerable when faced with a power-attack, like Shetty’s.
“His smashes are difficult to face, and the Chinese, Koreans and others tend to get scared when they play big guys; that’s why Viktor belts those smashes. Ayush has the same impact,” he explains.
It effectively means the 20-year-old can trouble the biggest names soon with the mammoth, dipping hits that drop like shells in a combat zone. The upside of such power-heavy games, like PV Sindhu’s, is that they brook no riposte, especially when hit with the wind.
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Someone like Anders Antonsen doesn’t have that decisive hit, and needs to labour for his points. Shetty, in his earlier years, was known for blind hitting, but is now drawing out the big guns at crucial punctures. Against Yang, the turning point came when breaking the 18-18 tie in the first game, when Shetty unleashed his overhead cross-court that travelled the diagonal length of the court.
“When he hits that forehand cross-court, the opponent knows it’s coming, but can do nothing. They just can’t take it. He hit the cross-court on championship point too. That’s what makes him dangerous,” coach Sagar Chopda says. A deflated Yang – usually very peppy and upbeat on court – looked ashen.
What makes Shetty an exciting prospect for Indian badminton is that his net-play is sturdy. It’s his A-game even, and he can foment serious chaos in opponents with his variations and technically accurate net-play. It’s where he creates opportunities from, and quite his stomping ground.
Earlier, opponents would read his over-commitment to the net and lob over him. “Now he’s learnt to push them back and open up the court and is confident from the back court. His defence is greatly improved and his strength in longer rallies, where he struggled earlier, has gone up,” Vimal says. “His smash finishing is a bullet, and will get him the point 60-70 percent of the time and weaken the opponent.” He also hits them at a fast clip, with his long-levered range.
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Vimal has one quibble. “On cross-smashes, he has winners. On straight ones, he can work more to find the lines.”
Toma Jr Popov brought Shetty down recently by consistent lobbing, a weakness everyone will exploit. Shetty’s response? “Like HS Prannoy, when the opponent flicks him, he has developed a very good backhand whip and a drive that travels at speed. If he takes charge of the net, then…” Vimal pronounces ominously.
Yang, a retriever compulsively, did make Shetty twist and turn, attacking his forehand right after peppering him on the backhand. But the Indian has improved his percentages against defensive opponents.
Need to stay focused
Shetty’s parents were in Bengaluru this last week, being wooed by various agencies keen to tie him up in lucrative contracts. Vimal, however, has put forth his opinion.
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“I’ve seen too many young players getting carried away by all this. I told his family to not get into any contracts and just remain focused. His tournament and travel expenses are taken care of, he has a monthly scholarship from Indian Oil. Next one year, he has to achieve one thing – focus on badminton and get into the Top 10. It’s very tempting, but he has to first achieve a lot. Till then, remain simple. I told them not to ruin his badminton career with these offers,” he says.
Shetty’s title win came after a long time for India, the first after Prannoy’s Malaysia title, and within weeks of Srikanth’s making a Tour final. But like those two, the Ayush Shetty attack is looming large, waiting to explode.
