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…
This report has been adapted by the PurePlay Sports Desk from coverage by The Bridge, Google News — Athletes.