Thomas Cup: Ayush feels India can go all the way after they ensure a medal

Indian men have put themselves in line for a second Thomas Cup crown after 2022 – not to speak of assuring themselves of at least a bronze medal in the marquee team event of badminton when they brushed aside Chinese Taipei 3-0 to make the semi-finals on Friday. Ayush Shetty, in red hot form and their man of the moment after he beat All England champion Lin Chun-Yi in the third singles, feels they can go all the way in Horsens, Denmark.

 “We believe that we can go all the way. It has always been like this. We have a solid team and everyone believes that we can do it,’’ Ayush, the 20-year-old who ended up with a hugely creditable silver in Badminton Asia Championship last month, told  BWF website. Ayush prevailed 21-16, 21-17 to make a clean sweep for India after wins for Lakshya Sen and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty.

 Looking ahead, India will face either France and Japan in the semi-finals on Saturday for a spot in the final. Japan have always been a powerful force in badminton with depth in both singles and doubles with them being known for their speed and consistency. France, on the other hand, are an emerging force and have surprised many a fancied opponents in recent times.

Comparing the knockout clash to their  group stage campaign earlier, Ayush admitted there was added pressure but credited India’s early momentum for easing the situation. “Yesterday was the group stage, but today there was a bit more pressure. Being 2-0 up made it a bit easier. I think I played with confidence and I am happy to win for the team,’’ Ayush said.

The emerging star, whose six feet gangling frame reminds one of the Danish ace Viktor Axelsen who retired recently due to a knee issue, added that his strategy was to stay aggressive and deny his opponent chances to dictate play. “He (Lin) is an All England champion and has a really strong attack. The plan was to attack more and not give him many chances and I think I executed that pretty well,’’ he added.