Ayush Shetty brought India’s dry run on the BWF circuit to an end with a composed and commanding display in the men’s singles final of the US Open Super 300, while 16-year-old Tanvi Sharma, playing her first World Tour final, displayed admirable grit before falling to top seed Beiwen Zhang in the women’s singles.

The 20-year-old Shetty, a bronze medallist at the 2023 World Junior Championships, overcame Canada’s third seed Brian Yang 21-18, 21-13 in 47 minutes on Sunday, capturing his first BWF World Tour title and crowning a week of confident shot-making and mental steel.

Shetty’s route to the title included a thrilling semi-final comeback win against top seed Chou Tien Chen, a former world no. 2. With this triumph, the Mangalore-born shuttler halted India’s BWF title drought this season and continued his strong head-to-head record against Yang, whom he had already beaten twice earlier this year in Malaysia and Taipei.

In contrast, Tanvi Sharma, unseeded and fearless, fought valiantly against world no. 10 Beiwen Zhang, but went down 11-21, 21-16, 10-21 in a contest that lasted 46 minutes.

Ayush’s clinical finishing

The men’s final began on level footing, with scores tied at 6-all, before Shetty, seeded fourth, reeled off five consecutive points to go into the mid-game interval at 11-6. Yang mounted a brief comeback, drawing level at 16-16, but Shetty regained control with sharp placements and a decisive jump smash to take the first game.

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In the second game, Shetty opened up a 7-2 lead with a flurry of aggressive strokes. Though Yang responded with a few winners, the Indian remained composed, mixing variation and defence to frustrate his opponent. At 17-12, Shetty closed out the match with a cross-court punch and a thundering smash to seal the biggest title of his young career.

Shetty had previously reached finals at the 2023 Odisha Masters Super 100, Bahrain International, and Dutch Open, but had not clinched a crown until now.

Tanvi shows promise in defeat

Earlier, Tanvi found herself on the back foot in the women’s final as Zhang raced to an 11-5 lead and comfortably claimed the first game. The Indian, however, launched a spirited fightback in the second game, taking a 4-0 lead and holding off her seasoned rival through a series of attacking plays.

From 11-9 at the interval, Tanvi increased the pressure with her aggressive intent and forced Zhang into errors, levelling the match at one game apiece. But the third game proved a step too far, as the American surged to an 11-4 lead and wrapped up the decider to clinch the title.

Despite the loss, the 16-year-old from India’s junior ranks drew praise for her poise and maturity on the big stage. It was her first-ever World Tour final—a performance that bodes well for her future in international badminton.