New Delhi, India: The 2026 BWF World Championships produced a major badminton upset on its opening day as India’s Ayush Shetty eliminated China’s top seed Shi Yuqi in a dramatic three-game battle.
World No. 22 Shetty thrilled the home crowd by defeating Shi 21-14, 13-21, 21-19 after one hour and 13 minutes, recording his first victory over the Chinese star in four career meetings.
Shi’s early exit completed a difficult day for China’s men’s singles squad, with 16th seed Weng Hongyang also eliminated in the opening round.
Ayush Shetty Sends Top Seed Shi Yuqi Out of World Championships
Shetty made an aggressive start against the tournament’s No. 1 seed and claimed the opening game 21-14.
Shi responded like a champion in the second, taking control of the rallies and winning 21-13 to force a deciding game.
The momentum appeared to swing dramatically back toward the Indian in the third as Shetty opened a commanding 17-6 advantage.
Shi, however, refused to surrender.
The Chinese star launched a determined comeback, producing runs of five consecutive points and then four straight points to reduce the deficit to 17-11 and later 18-15.
With Shetty holding five match points at 20-15, Shi saved four of them to close the gap to 20-19 and put enormous pressure on the Indian youngster.
Shetty finally secured the deciding point to take the game 21-19, completing one of the biggest victories of his career and the most significant upset of the World Championships so far.
- Winner: Ayush Shetty of India
- Defeated: Shi Yuqi of China
- Score: 21-14, 13-21, 21-19
- Match duration: 1 hour 13 minutes
- Head-to-head: Shetty recorded his first win over Shi in four meetings
Weng Hongyang Also Eliminated as China Lose Two Men’s Singles Players
Shi was not the only seeded Chinese men’s singles player to make an early departure from New Delhi.
China’s 16th seed Weng Hongyang was beaten in straight games by Japan’s Yushi Tanaka, giving China two men’s singles defeats on the opening day.
Li Shifeng prevented the day from becoming even more damaging for the Chinese squad.
The eighth seed advanced comfortably after defeating Kazakhstan’s Dmitriy Panarin in straight games.
Li will next face Malaysia’s Leong Jun Hao in the round of 32, setting up an intriguing China-Malaysia badminton showdown.
Other Seeded Men’s Singles Players Advance
While Shi’s defeat dominated the early badminton news from New Delhi, several other leading men’s singles contenders successfully negotiated their opening matches.
Denmark’s fourth seed Anders Antonsen, Chinese Taipei’s sixth seed Chou Tien Chen, Japan’s 10th seed Kodai Naraoka, Indonesia’s 11th seed Alwi Farhan and France’s 15th seed Toma Junior Popov all advanced to the next round.
Wan Arif-Yap Roy King Give Malaysia Winning Start
Malaysia also opened its World Championships campaign with a positive result as Wan Arif Wan Junaidi and Yap Roy King reunited with a convincing men’s doubles victory.
The world No. 19 Malaysians defeated Vietnam’s world No. 78 combination Nguyen Dinh Hoang and Tran Dinh Manh 21-9, 21-13 to secure Malaysia’s first victory of the tournament.
Wan Arif and Yap had been separated during Malaysia’s recent men’s doubles reshuffle, with both players testing different combinations over the past month.
Despite the time apart, there was little sign of rust as they quickly rediscovered their understanding and controlled the match from start to finish.
- Winners: Wan Arif Wan Junaidi/Yap Roy King of Malaysia
- Defeated: Nguyen Dinh Hoang/Tran Dinh Manh of Vietnam
- Score: 21-9, 21-13
Wan Arif-Yap Roy King Face Indonesian Seeds Next
The Malaysian pair now face a considerably tougher challenge in the round of 32.
Wan Arif and Yap will meet Indonesia’s 12th seeds Raymond Indra and Nikolaus Joaquin, who received a first-round bye.
The World Championships mark Wan Arif and Yap’s first tournament together since the Japan Open in mid-July.
During the intervening period, both had competed with different national teammates as Malaysia continued experimenting with new men’s doubles partnerships.
Four Malaysian Men’s Doubles Pairs Reach Round of 32
Wan Arif and Yap join three other Malaysian combinations in the second round.
Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun, and professional pair Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani all received opening-round byes.
- Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik: Face Thailand’s Peeratchai Sukphun/Pakkapon Teeratsakul
- Man Wei Chong/Tee Kai Wun: Face China’s Huang Di/Liu Yang
- Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin Rumsani: Face Scotland’s Christopher Grimley/Matthew Grimley
- Wan Arif Wan Junaidi/Yap Roy King: Face Indonesia’s Raymond Indra/Nikolaus Joaquin
Malaysia therefore has four men’s doubles partnerships competing in the round of 32, maintaining a strong presence in one of the country’s most competitive badminton disciplines.
Japanese Pair Eliminate Popov Brothers
Japan’s Takumi Nomura and Yuichi Shimogami also progressed after defeating French brothers Christo Popov and Toma Junior Popov in straight games.
The Japanese pair will now face defending champions and top seeds Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae of South Korea in the round of 32.
Ong Xin Yee-Carmen Ting Win World Championships Debut
Malaysia enjoyed another encouraging result in women’s doubles as Ong Xin Yee and Carmen Ting made a successful World Championships debut.
The Malaysian pair defeated Ukraine’s Polina Buhrova and Yevheniia Kantemyr 21-17, 21-12.
The result extended Ong and Ting’s perfect record against the Ukrainian partnership to three victories from three meetings.
- Winners: Ong Xin Yee/Carmen Ting of Malaysia
- Defeated: Polina Buhrova/Yevheniia Kantemyr of Ukraine
- Score: 21-17, 21-12
Major Test Awaits Ong Xin Yee-Carmen Ting
The level of difficulty will rise sharply in the next round.
World No. 23 Ong and Ting will face Japan’s second seeds Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto, who received a bye in the first round.
Malaysia’s leading women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan are also through to the round of 32 after receiving an opening-round bye.
The fifth seeds will face Turkey’s world No. 22 combination Bengisu Ercetin and Nazlıcan Inci.
Malaysian Independent Mixed Doubles Pairs Ready for Action
Malaysia also has two independent mixed doubles combinations competing at the World Championships.
Wong Tien Ci and Lim Chiew Sien will begin their campaign against Indonesia’s Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto and Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja.
Meanwhile, 10th seeds Goh Soon Huat and Lai Shevon Jemie received a first-round bye.
The Malaysian husband-and-wife partnership could face South Korea’s Asian champions Kim Jae Hyeon and Jang Ha Jeong in the second round.
2026 World Championships Open With Major Badminton Upset
The opening day in New Delhi has already demonstrated why the World Championships remain one of badminton’s most unpredictable tournaments.
Shi Yuqi arrived as the top seed and one of China’s leading title hopes, but Ayush Shetty’s fearless performance changed the complexion of the men’s singles draw immediately.
For China, losing both Shi and Weng Hongyang in the first round places additional responsibility on remaining players such as Li Shifeng.
Malaysia, meanwhile, enjoyed a positive start through Wan Arif-Yap Roy King and Ong Xin Yee-Carmen Ting, with several of the country’s leading badminton stars preparing to begin their campaigns after receiving first-round byes.
With the biggest names now entering the competition, the early upset involving Shi Yuqi could be only the beginning of an unpredictable week of badminton in New Delhi.
