Hosts India enjoyed a perfect opening day at the BWF World Championships 2026 in New Delhi, with all five Indian players and pairs in action advancing to the second round. The biggest result of the day came from Ayush Shetty, who stunned top seed and defending champion Shi Yuqi in a thrilling men’s singles contest at the Indira Gandhi Stadium on Monday.
The 21-year-old Indian, an Asian championship silver medallist, defeated Shi 21-14, 13-21, 21-19 in one hour and 13 minutes. It was a major upset considering Ayush had lost all three of his previous meetings against the Chinese star.
Shi’s defeat also made history. He became the first defending men’s singles champion to lose in the opening round of the World Championships.
Ayush kept his composure despite Shi saving four match points in a tense final game. The Indian had taken control early, leading 11-5 at the interval in the opening game before wrapping it up 21-14 with powerful smashes.
Shi fought back in the second game and forced Ayush into longer rallies. The Chinese player took the game 21-13 to level the match and set up a decider.
Ayush showed patience in the third game and waited for his chances instead of rushing his attacks. He changed ends with an 11-5 lead and soon moved 16-5 ahead after winning seven points in a row.
Shi, however, refused to go down without a fight. Better play at the net and a series of deceptive shots helped the top seed reduce the gap to 18-15. Ayush then held his nerve, using his defence to win a crucial point before producing a down-the-line smash to earn five match points.
Shi saved four of them, but Ayush finally finished the contest with a deceptive flick.
“I was telling myself to calm down. I was getting a bit nervous because he was really catching up. The momentum was with him and everything I did, he somehow managed to retrieve. So I think I was trying to calm down and you know, be aggressive,” Ayush said after the match.
India’s other four entries also progressed without dropping a match.
MR Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan opened the hosts’ campaign with a 21-16, 6-4 victory over Ireland’s Scott Guildea and Paul Reynolds, who retired during the second game.
Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand then comfortably defeated Spain’s Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez 21-9, 21-13 in the women’s doubles.
Former world champion PV Sindhu also made a winning start. The ninth seed defeated Ireland’s Sofia Noble 21-7, 21-11 in just 31 minutes.
Sindhu dominated from the start, racing to an 8-0 lead in the opening game before finishing it 21-7. Noble improved in the second game and managed to make Sindhu work harder, but the Indian remained in control. Sindhu produced eight straight points to move from 12-10 to 20-10 before sealing the match.
“I think overall, playing for the first time, it was important for me to get used to the court conditions and see how it is. Today, I think that was the first thing for me that came into my mind. But I think I managed it well and the court conditions are pretty good,” Sindhu said.
She will face Canada’s Wen Yu Zhang in the second round.
The day ended with another Indian women’s doubles win as Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi beat Spain’s Nikol Carulla and Carmen Maria Jimenez 22-20, 21-14. The Indian pair made a strong comeback in the opening game after trailing 17-20, saving three game points before taking it 22-20.
Japan’s Yushi Tanaka also caused an upset, defeating 16th seed Weng Hong Yang of China 21-17, 21-14. Anders Antonsen and Kodai Naraoka were among the other men’s singles winners on the opening day.
For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest Sports News on India.com.
