Kidambi Srikanth and Ayush Shetty in action at the india Open. (Express Archive | Abhinav Saha)France maximized their advantage of three players in the men’s singles Top 17, including two in Top 10, to defeat India 3-0 and make the Thomas Cup final on Saturday.In the absence of Lakshya Sen, rested due to an elbow impact injury, Ayush Shetty played first singles — and got ambushed by Christo Popov. Satwik and Chirag were resigned to wait, men’s doubles only possible as the fifth rubber given the Popov brothers play singles too.Ayush gets ambushedWhen India went down 0-1 with World No 4 Christo Popov on a rampage, the good news was that Ayush’s manner of being dominated was a known vulnerability. The bad news was it has been the same issue costing him matches for six months — against Lakshya Sen, Brian Yang, Alwi Farhan, Christo himself and Shi Yuqi in the BAC final at Ningbo, inflicting the same damage each time. It is a pattern now, not an aberration.There’s a higher gear, a higher tempo, that most players can deploy against him to rush Ayush. Christo brought the whole ambush drill — no supreme artistry required, no deep deception, just very accurate shots at blitzing speed, forcing a thinking overdrive on the tall shuttler and scrambling his movements. Christo crowded Ayush and clouded his decision-making, as the Indian failed to make the shots he otherwise would.Smashes going wide, pushes in the net, terrible judgments on the backline — Ayush went from 6-11 down at the break to 11-21, Christo fiercely moving ahead.At 6’4″, fast court movements take time to get going, and attacking clears were Ayush’s best hope to not cede the initiative. But his accuracy to the backlines was poor on the day — perhaps down to five matches in a week, his tournament fitness not quite up to scratch as Christo’s fast parallels kept him well away from the net. Very few points offered him the initiative to dictate a rally. He remained nonplussed as Christo hammered away.In the second, Ayush lapsed to 2-9 and couldn’t escape the single digits. At 5-14, another poor lift was an open invitation — the thwack duly arrived. A 21-9 scoreline was an ominous sign of how the 15-point format will punish his vulnerabilities, as all of Ayush’s strengths got negated by pace.Story continues below this adChristo ushers in the new European upgrade — the physicality that Alex Lanier’s game brought into play a couple of seasons ago, now refined and sharpened. Speed and power over skill and net intricacy. Slam bang. Where the French men’s singles is acing the style is in bringing the doubles elements of parallel play — staying consistent, no countenance for flair. The hockey astroturfication of badminton, if you will. Wielding his left-handed strokes like an axe, Christo took the net out of the equation entirely with midcourt parallels. The World Tour Finals winner from 2025 made the arena resound with the power on his hits.Ayush acknowledged the damage afterwards. “His pace was really high which put pressure on me. He dominated the net. He outclassed me today.”Srikanth wilts awayKidambi Srikanth had never played Alex Lanier, and he brought out vintage snapshots of how artistry can compete against the acceleration the Frenchman blithely threw at him. But the accuracy has long left Srikanth — precision on the lines, precision in the fast exchanges, highly undependable now. That the 32-year-old remains competitive at this level, injury-free and still hunting the angles, says something about the competitor he has always been. But competing and winning are increasingly different propositions.He had more variety in his winners during the 21-16, 21-18 loss — perhaps his last Thomas Cup game. But all Lanier had to do was keep things simple: attack with power out of Srikanth’s reach, refuse to engage in the rallying battles. When the Frenchman did engage, Srikanth had a look-in — a glorious smash with a net follow-up of yore, myriad ways to move the shuttle about. But errors outnumbered winners 3:2. Though he briefly controlled the tempo at 15-18 in the first, and even 16-17 in the second, Lanier was always just two Srikanth errors away from taking off.Story continues below this adThe final point had all of Srikanth’s frustrations scrunched into one moment. Desperate at 18-20 to ward off the dying of the light, he got pumped up and embroiled in a fast flat midcourt exchange — seemed in control of the rally — and smashed into the net. The grimace. His face in his hands.HS Prannoy fell in the third singles 21-19, 21-16, completing France’s sweep. India’s story told.Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball. Professional Profile Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express. Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She also writes extensively about tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics. Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"—breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium. Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025) Shivani Naik’s recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond: Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has recently written about a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style. PV Sindhu’s Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu’s tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps. The "Group of Death": In December 2025, she provided detailed tactical previews for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s campaign in the BWF World Tour Finals. Tactical Deep Dives: She frequently explores technical trends, such as the rise of "backhand deception" in modern badminton and the importance of court drift management in international arenas. Legacy and History: She often revisits the careers of legends like Saina Nehwal and Syed Modi, providing historical context to current Indian successes. Notable Recent Articles BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag have it all to do to get through proverbial Group of Death. (Dec 2025) The age of Hulks in Indian badminton is here. (Dec 2025) Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa. (Dec 2025) Ayush Shetty beats Kodai Naraoka: Will 20-year-old be the headline act in 2026? (Nov 2025) Modern Cinderella tale – featuring An Se-young and a shoe that fits snugly. (Nov 2025) Other Sports Interests Beyond the court, Shivani is a passionate follower of South African cricket, sometimes writing emotional columns about her irrational support for the Proteas, which started because of love for Graeme Smith's dour and doughty Test playing style despite being a left-hander, and sustained over curiosity over their heartbreaking habit of losing ICC knockouts. You can follow her detailed analysis and columns on her official Indian Express profile page. ... Read More © The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Kidambi SrikanthThomas Cup