While Alwi has two titles this season, Ayush is still searching for his big one. (BWF/Badminton Photo)Ayush Shetty secured a remarkably comfortable 21-17, 5-21, 21-17 victory over Indonesian rival Alwi Farhan to enter the second round of the Super 1000 China Open. It was an important win on a big stage — a Super 1000 — against an opponent who is the season’s best form player and widely acknowledged as Indonesia’s next big hope.The two 21-year-olds are seen as the future of badminton, though they have done enough to be considered the present. While Alwi has two titles this season, Ayush is still searching for his big one. China Open offers a good opportunity for the World No.23. Though his draw half is stacked — including Lakshya Sen in the semis possibly — he can dream big, after securing a confidence-boosting result, getting past a 2022 World Jrs batchmate who he hadn’t beaten since 2023.Ayush plays Nhat Nguyen, a pokey tricky Irishman next.Sen registered a fighting win over Yushi Tanaka after an especially tricky first set, where he contrived to make a 17-14 lead needlessly adventurous. He won 22-20, 15-21, 21-14 highlighting yet another slow start to a tournament, and Round 2 looks ominous.They are only 1-1 in head to head, but Sen and Candian Victor Lai have a propensity to play memorable matches, so Thursday would be no different. Had badminton been at the Commonwealth Games, Lai would’ve fought Sen hard for the gold. Just as Lai, who won the last Super 1000 at Indonesia entered Top 10, Sen has fallen back to World No.14. It is pretty clear Sen will prioritise the big events. But he would be keen to join Saina Nehwal, Kidambi Srikanth and PV Sindhu as the only Indians in singles to win China Open. The relentless retriever and snappy attacker Lai won’t make it easy, though Sen has a more rounded game than him.While the All England semifinals was one of the classics, and a match Sen will take plenty of hope from, the Thomas Cup loss would’ve stung him. Sen was 21-18, 19-19 rallying from 16-19 down when he couldn’t forge ahead. Lai is very beatable with Sen’s skillset, but the Indian has allowed him to get into his head with his expansive smashes.The draw is treacherous for Sen with Loh Kean or Jojo Christie after Lai. Sindhu’s attack has looked terrifying for her opponents. (BWF/Badminton Photo)In women’s singles, Japan Open winner PV Sindhu started out avenging an upstart loss to Unnati Hooda, who had famously beaten her at China last season.Story continues below this adThe 21-14, 9-21, 21-10 win for Sindhu saw two fairly one-sided sets with a breather set lost in between. Sindhu however immediately runs into Chinese Chen Yufei who had retired with hamstring issues after finding herself at the end of a Sindhu torrent last week.The Chinese remains iffy in her court movements and the Indian will sniff a chance should Yufei continue being tentative. Playing at home presents a different pressure for the Chinese, though she might have rested more, given she wrapped up by Saturday, and was airdropped in place of An Se-young who herself withdrew from China.Sindhu’s attack has looked terrifying for her opponents, with Yufei telling BWF, “I wanted to play at 100%, but Sindhu played very well. Her attack was explosive and I was always defending. I wasn’t comfortable.” Acupuncture and massage had both not offered her relief last week, but playing in front of her home crowd, Yufei will pose a stronger resolve to Sindhu.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 Tags:PV Sindhu