Ayush Shetty aims for good showing at Worlds

Slaying three higher-ranked shuttlers in one single tournament, Ayush Shetty announced his arrival on the world stage with a bang. PV Sindhu hailed him as a “generational talent”. Former world and Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen said Ayush reminds him of his younger days.Like Viktor, Ayush stands tall at 6 ft 4 inch and with his silver-winning show in China, the 20-year-old revived the sagging hopes of Indian fans who are waiting for the next big star. “The World Championships is my primary focus now and then the Asian Games,” Ayush said on Monday.A big fan of Malaysian badminton legend Lee Chong Wei and Kidambi Srikanth, Ayush once told his parents he wanted to become a top player. “I wanted to be one of the best players in the world. That was always my dream and it still is,” Ayush said. Ayush wants to maximise the advantage of his tall frame. “Height is definitely an advantage. I can get those angles and can hit really steep. But it is not easy to be very low on the court,” he said. Ayush described the semis win against Kunlavut as the toughest of his career. “The loss to Shi Yu Qi is quite a learning experience,” he said.