Ayush Shetty’s daunting World Championships opener against China’s world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi could work in the Indian’s favour as his opponent is not currently at his best and the home crowd could give the youngster an edge, feels his coach Sagar Chopda.

Shetty, who announced himself on the big stage with a runner-up finish at the Badminton Asia Championships earlier this year, faces the toughest opening-round assignment against Shi Yu Qi, who outclassed the Indian in the continental final in straight games.

“If you look at it, it’s probably one of the toughest draws anybody could get. But playing Shi Yu Qi, Ayush has nothing to lose,” Chopda, the head coach at the Centre for Badminton Excellence (CBE) in Bengaluru, formerly known as the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA), told PTI Videos.

“In fact, he is playing in India and on our home ground, so the pressure is going to be on Shi Yu Qi.”

Chopda believes the timing of the draw could work in Shetty’s favour, with Shi not quite at the same level as he was a few months ago.

“Shi Yu Qi has had a tough last couple of tournaments, including the China Open. He’s not looking at his best, like he probably was a few months ago. And Ayush has gotten better with every tournament. He’s been playing really well and lost close matches.

“I think facing Shi in the first round is probably better than facing him in the later rounds, where the players get adjusted to the climate and sport conditions. So, Ayush definitely has the upper hand.”

Chopda said that the 21-year-old from Mangalore welcomed the draw.

“As soon as the draws came out, Ayush actually was looking forward to playing Shi Yu Qi. It never looked once that Ayush doubted himself. That’s a good thing. If the player himself is feeling confident about it, I think that’s a good sign,” he said.

“So I think Ayush will have nothing to lose. He is going to have crowd support, and the first thing he has to do is believe that he can do it.”

The Bengaluru-based coach believes Shetty’s improved defence and fitness could make him a much tougher opponent this time around.

“Ayush is a tall player, and everybody is wary of his downward strokes. He has gotten better with his defence and his fitness has also improved. He needs to believe that if the match goes long, he can sustain it,” Chopda said.

“At the Malaysia Open earlier this year, Ayush got tired and lost mainly because of fitness. But now he’s different. He needs to believe in his fitness and go all out.”

Asked about Shetty’s inability to build on his breakthrough Asia Championships run, where he finished runner-up before suffering a series of early exits on the BWF World Tour, Chopda described it as part of a young player’s development.

“I think players go through these phases. In the other tournaments, he has not crossed the round of 16, but he has played well and lost those matches.

“He has also been working a lot on his physical aspects and coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama has been pushing him in the on-court sessions. There has been a change in his training pattern, so it takes time for a player to adapt to it. We feel he is looking really good now and has a great chance at the World Championships.”

While acknowledging that expectations around the youngster have grown after his Asia Championships exploits, Chopda said Shetty has embraced the challenge with the help of a sports psychologist.

“He definitely needs to enjoy this because it’s his first World Championships. But somewhere down the line, he also believes there are expectations from him, and he is aware of it. He is handling the pressure really well.

“He has been working alongside a sports psychologist. Earlier, he experienced the crowd in China in the Badminton Asia Championship final, but that was against him. Here, the crowd will support him. He needs to take those positives and enjoy himself while looking to win the match.”

For Chopda, merely participating should not be the objective for the debutant.

“Definitely winning a medal at the World Championships should be on his mind. He is aware of it. Winning a medal at the World Championships will be a big statement made by him.”

Chopda also backed Lakshya Sen to make a deep run, describing the former World Championships medallist as a “big-match player”.

“Whether it was the Olympics, the All England, the World Championships or the Thomas Cup, he has always risen to the occasion. He has got a decent draw as well and has been training really hard with the Korean coach. We feel Lakshya is another player who can really do well.”

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