Ichinomiya City, September 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Ayush Shetty and Unnati Hooda kept India’s singles campaign alive at the Asian Games 2026, advancing to the Round of 16 with contrasting victories on Saturday.
Ayush made quick work of Kazakhstan’s Makhsut Tajibullayev, securing a 21-7, 21-7 victory in just 21 minutes. The world No. 20 Indian controlled the contest from the start and gave his opponent little opportunity to build momentum.
The straight-game win also allowed Ayush to conserve energy ahead of another assignment later in the day. He will face Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien-Chen in the pre-quarterfinals, with the Indian trailing 1-2 in their previous meetings.
Unnati, meanwhile, was forced to dig deep against Malaysia’s Wong Ling Ching before securing a 21-14, 20-22, 21-19 victory in a contest lasting 79 minutes.
The 25th-ranked Indian made a strong start, taking the opening game 21-14 against the world No. 38 Malaysian. Wong fought back in the second game, edging ahead in the closing stages to level the contest with a 22-20 win.
The decider remained closely fought, with neither player able to establish a significant lead. Unnati eventually earned two match points at 20-18. Wong saved the first, but a cross-court attempt went wide on the next rally, allowing the Indian to seal the match.
Unnati will next face Indonesia’s world No. 6 Putri Kusuma Wardani in the Round of 16. Wardani won their only previous meeting at the 2025 Hylo Open.
The victories came after Lakshya Sen’s second-round exit earlier in the day. The Indian lost to Singapore’s former world champion Loh Kean Yew, leaving Ayush as India’s remaining men’s singles representative.
Among India’s singles players yet to compete on Saturday, PV Sindhu is scheduled to face Chinese Taipei’s Chiu Pin-chian.
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