Ayush Shetty faces a tough opening match at the World Championships against China’s world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi. However, his coach Sagar Chopda believes the difficult draw could actually benefit the young Indian, especially with the home crowd behind him and Shi not being at his best recently.Shetty, 21, made a strong impression earlier this year by finishing runner-up at the Badminton Asia Championships, where he lost to Shi in straight games. This time, Chopda feels Shetty can approach the contest without pressure.“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 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 Shi’s recent form could give Shetty a chance. “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.”The coach also said Shetty himself welcomed the challenging 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.Shetty has also improved his defence and fitness, which could help him in a long match. Chopda feels the youngster should trust his physical preparation and play aggressively.“He needs to believe in his fitness and go all out,” he said.Chopda said Shetty’s recent early exits are part of his development and that his training has changed. With a sports psychologist also helping him handle expectations, the coach believes the debutant should aim high.“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,” he added.Chopda also backed Lakshya Sen, calling him a “big-match player” and tipping him to make a deep run.
