India's Ayush Shetty stormed into the final with a stunning three-game win over top seed and defending champion Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn, assuring himself of at least a silver medal at the Badminton Asia Championships here on Saturday.
The world No. 25 rode on his superior attack and robust defence to script a sensational 10-21, 21-19, 21-17 comeback win over Vitidsarn, the Paris Olympics silver medallist and 2023 world champion.
Ayush became the first Indian men's singles player after Dinesh Khanna to reach the finals of the prestigious tournament.
He will face either Chinese Taipei's fourth seed Chou Tien Chen or second seeded Chinese Shi Yu Qi in the summit clash.
Ayush took time to get into the groove as Vitidsarn dictated play early with pace and precision, but he made a much sharper start in the second game and capitalised on a couple of net errors to move to 16-11.
Carrying the momentum forward, Ayush opened up a 4-1 lead in the third game and tightened his defence, retrieving returns he had missed earlier while keeping Vitidsarn under sustained pressure with aggressive play.
He repeatedly cramped Vitidsarn for space with his powerful smashes, surging to 17-10, and continued to dictate rallies.
Ayush stayed composed, earning four match points with another cross-court winner before sealing a memorable victory with a final down-the-line smash.
