India's Ayush Shetty reacts during a match against Indonesia's Alwi Farhan at the Badminton World Championships in New Delhi on Thursday, Aug. Dec. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)Indonesian Alwi Farhan continued his dominance over batchmate Ayush Shetty, confirming that the young Indian has some way to go before he can sustain his power attack through the length of a tournament. Ayush had been scorching through his early matches including the sensational win over No 1 Shi Yuqi. But tournament-play demands problem solving through assorted puzzles through a week.Ayush didn’t have all the answers on Thursday though he had won their last faceoff.“Just three weeks ago, Ayush had beaten Alwi Farhan in the China Open, but today Alwi played the more tactical game and never allowed Ayush to take the initiative,” his coach Vimal Kumar said.The tall Indian’s tentative mindset didn’t help as he went into reactive mode. “Ayush seemed more concerned about what Alwi was going to do rather than taking the game to him. He had a good opportunity to take the first game when he was leading 19-18, but a couple of tentative shots at the net cost him crucial points. That was a turning point in the match,” Vimal explained.Also Read | BWF World C’ships: Ayush Shetty brought down by old nemesis Alwi FarhanIn the second game, playing from the better end, Ayush needed to be more aggressive and open up the court, the coach stressed. “He also struggled to connect cleanly with his hard smashes, whereas Alwi was timing his smashes much better,” he added.In big halls where the drift can have a major influence on the shuttle, the smash connections can go skewed if the timing is off. “A few of Ayush’s smashes were not accurate enough and went too close to Alwi, allowing him to return them comfortably,” Vimal would point out. “Those missed opportunities also seemed to affect Ayush mentally.”The coach reckoned the Indonesian’s smooth execution of the straight hits plan (thus avoiding tempting fate with sidelines) worked seamlessly. “Overall, Alwi played the more composed and tactically disciplined match today, while Ayush was too tentative at crucial moments and did not impose his game enough,” he said.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:Badminton World Championship