Defending champion Shi Yuqi crashed out of the 2026 World Badminton Championships in New Delhi on August 17, suffering a stunning first-round defeat to Indian host star Ayush Shetty. The three-game upset eliminated the Chinese contender on the opening day of the global tournament.
First-Round Exit for the Defending Champion in New Delhi
The 2026 World Badminton Championships opened on August 17 in New Delhi, India, with an immediate seismic upset in the men’s singles draw. Chinese player and defending champion Shi Yuqi fell in the opening round, losing 1-2 to Indian player Ayush Shetty and bowing out of the tournament prematurely.
The draw dealt Shi a difficult path from the outset. The men’s singles competition featured 64 players, and Shi pulled one of the toughest possible opening assignments against Shetty, who had reached the final of the Asian Championships in April before losing to Shi. Compounding the challenge, Shi had struggled with injuries and missed multiple events following the Thomas Cup in May, leaving him visibly short of peak match fitness as the tournament got underway.
How Ayush Shetty Powered Past Shi Yuqi
Slow out of the blocks, the defending champion committed unforced errors in the opening game while Shetty fed off the energy of the home crowd. The Indian rising star combined powerful smashes on the attack with agile defense, digging out heavy returns to take the first game 21-14.
Shi responded by raising his tempo in the second game, finding his length and reclaiming control to level the match with a 21-13 win. But the momentum swung firmly back to the home favorite in the decider. Shetty built an imposing 16-5 lead in the final game behind relentless pressure across both flanks.
Refusing to fold, Shi staged a desperate late charge. He clawed back the deficit and saved four match points when trailing 15-20, but Shetty converted his fifth match opportunity to seal a 21-19 victory in the rubber game.
Reflecting on the grueling battle after the match, Shi noted that miracles do not happen often, adding that he tried everything possible to engineer a turnaround from deep in the hole before falling just short on the crucial points.
Mixed Fortunes for the Chinese Delegation Across Singles Draws
While the men’s singles bracket lost its defending champion on day one, other seeded competitors experienced contrasting fortunes on the opening day of competition.
- Eighth-seeded men’s singles player Li Shifeng cruised past Kazakhstan’s Panarin 21-7, 21-10.
- Sixteenth-seeded Weng Hongyang fell in straight games to Japan’s Tanaka Yuji, 17-21, 14-21.
- Third-seeded women’s singles player Wang Zhiyi defeated 36-year-old American veteran Beiwen Zhang 21-12, 21-13.
- Fifth seed Han Yue survived a demanding three-game test against Scotland’s Kirsty Gilmour, prevailing 20-22, 21-13, 21-13.
Doubles Contenders Advance on Opening Day
With top-ranked doubles seeds receiving first-round byes, the remaining Chinese doubles pairs stepped into the spotlight on the opening day. Huang Di and Liu Yang, alongside Hu Keyong and Lin Xiangyi in the men’s bracket, alongside the women’s pairing of Luo Yi and Wang Tingge, all secured comfortable 2-0 victories against their respective opponents to advance into the round of 32 in New Delhi.
