Ayush Shetty has made a significant mark at the Australian Open 2025, held at the State Sports Centre in Sydney. The young Indian shuttler registered a stunning victory against a top-10 player, Kodai Naraoka, to secure a place in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, the top-seeded men's doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, also known as "Sat-Chi," have advanced to the quarterfinals.

Ayush Shetty's Breakthrough Performance

Ayush Shetty's victory over Kodai Naraoka is undoubtedly the highlight of the tournament thus far for the Indian contingent. The 20-year-old, ranked 32nd in the world, displayed remarkable composure and tactical acumen to defeat the world number 9 in straight games, with scores of 21–17, 21–16. This win marks Shetty's sixth quarterfinal appearance of the season and underscores his growing reputation as a promising talent in men's singles badminton.

Naraoka is known for his physically demanding style, which involves attritional rallies intended to wear down opponents. Shetty matched Naraoka's pace and patience, refusing to allow the Japanese player to dictate the rhythm of the match. Shetty mixed defensive lifts with precise attacking clears and well-timed net tumbles, forcing Naraoka to retrieve far more than he typically prefers. Shetty maintained his composure and pulled away to win the first game 21–17.

In the previous round, Ayush Shetty delivered a dominant performance against Canada's Sam Yuan, winning 21-11, 21-15 in just 33 minutes. Shetty's consistency and control were evident as he limited long rallies and secured a comfortable victory.

Sat-Chi Secure Quarterfinals Berth

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the top seeds in the men's doubles category, secured their place in the quarterfinals with a hard-fought victory in their round of 32 match. The Asian Games champions overcame Chinese Taipei's Chang Ko-chi and Po Li-wei with scores of 25-23, 21-16 in 48 minutes.

The Indian pair faced a slow start, trailing 6-2 in the opening game. However, they recovered with four straight points to level the score. The game tightened at 19-19, where Chirag and Satwik saved three game points before taking the opener. The second game followed a similar pattern, with the Indian duo building a 7-4 lead only for the Chinese Taipei pair to fight back to 8-8. From there, the Indians shifted gears, reeling off six consecutive points to seize a four-point lead and eventually close out the match.

Sat-Chi will now face another Chinese Taipei pair, Su Ching-heng and Wu Guan-Xun, for a spot in the semi-finals.

Other Indian Performances

While Ayush Shetty and Sat-Chi have been the standout performers, other Indian shuttlers have also made their presence felt at the Australian Open 2025. Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, and H.S. Prannoy have all progressed to the round of 16 in the men's singles category. However, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand faced a setback in the women's doubles, losing to Indonesia's Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma and Meilysa Trias Puspitasari.

Overall, the Australian Open 2025 has been a mixed bag for the Indian contingent, with some impressive victories and some disappointing losses. However, the performances of Ayush Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have undoubtedly brought cheer to Indian badminton fans.