Ayush Shetty starts new season with win over recovering Olympic bronze medallist Lee Zii Jia; Up next in Rnd 2 – No 1 Shi Yuqi

Ayush Shetty in action during Yonex-Sunrise 29th Smt Krishna Khaitan All India Junior ranking Badminton tournament 2022 (Express Archive | Jasbir Malhi)

Lee Zii Jia, that dreaded name that cost Lakshya Sen and Olympic medal at Paris Games, is on one of his downturns, having sunk to World No 144. An injury back in September had kept him away, but the season’s first big event at home, would’ve been too hard to resist to launch a proper comeback after partial recovery. Trailing 12-21, 10-10 against Indian Ayush Shetty, Zii Jia even threatened an encore of the Olympic script where after looking down and out against Sen, he had roared back to claim the bronze. But a wisened Shetty kept his adrenaline in check just in time, to record a 21-12, 21-17 win over the Malaysian maverick.

Zii Jia, once a formidable aggressor with an attack to note, was known to come into the year’s first Super 1000 with fitness a little off-key. But his ability to flip a match is well known. He can bide his time, stay patient and wait for the opponent to err – in case of the Indian get over-eager – and pounce on the mistakes, scripting epic comebacks. His attack is weakened, but the point-construction muscle memory is intact.

Ayush had done well to take the opener at the famous Axiata arena, always keeping the lead in a first set canter. The Indian even started the second well with a 6-3 lead, but Zii Jia went on a four point rally and declared his intent to stay dangerous, often showing the capability to bridge gaps. It was at 10-10 that the Malaysian visibly moved a gear.

The compulsive comebacks seemed to be annoying the 20-year-old Indian who went hyper aggressive in attacking Zii Jia on the body. In what would count as the moment of the match, never mind the result, the 27-year-old, dug out two retrieves from smashes aimed at his torso. The first, Ayush tried to smother with another aimed at Zii Jia’s ribs. The second, the Malaysian sent straight in an evasive action, and it completely boggled the Indian.

Zii Jia took the mid set lead at 11-10 – a potential turning point.

It was a lesson – early in his career, early in this season too: attacks emanating from headrushes like this, can turn on him, and give the opponent a toehold. Ayush did well from then on to use positioning alongwith power to scatter the shuttle, and not allow himself to get dragged into needless fast parallels. He had enough sting in another aspect of his game, to waste breath on brandishing his big power game – his net tipples.

The 6-ft-4 stuck to setting the Malaysian poking net riddles from there on, with his no-frills tumbles, forcing errors out of Zii Jia. He flipped the impatience-game on the Malaysian whose lifts to open the court and prolong the rally lay dumped in the net. With those unfancy net pickings he wet from 10-12 down to 14-12 up, showing his own resilience.

All this time, and even in the first set, Ayush had struck a good containing length on the shuttle that prevented Zii Jia from attacking. His injury was anyway a detriment.

Things got ticklish at 15-17, as the Malaysian tried to press his advantage egged on by the home crowd carrying, “Keep Fighting Lee Zii Jia” banners. But Ayush knows how to finish, without a song and dance. He survived the parallel exchanges, and then used his net poise superbly to takea 19-17 lead.

Zii Jia attempted to send the shuttles back, but the Indian was there in one diagonal step, pulling the bird from the corners back into play, and using the Malaysian’s lack of sharpness at the net to collect points. Finally and inside of 40 minutes, Zii Jia sent the shuttle wide to give the Indian, ranked No 32, a brilliant start to the year.

He however immediately runs into Chinese World No 1 Shi Yuqi next.

Lakshya Sen too advanced to the second round with a hard fought win over Singaporean Jia Heng Jason Teh, ranked No 21. He won 21-16, 15-21, 21-14 needing 70 minutes. Sen plays Lee Cheuk Yiu.