
India's Ayush Shetty, 20, advanced to the Badminton Asia Championships final Saturday by defeating Thailand's World No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn 10-21, 21-19, 21-17 in Ningbo. The Karnataka player became the first Indian in line for men's singles gold since Dinesh Khanna's 1965 victory. Shetty will face China's World Champion Shi Yuqi Sunday. Coach Vimal Kumar praised Shetty's composure and pressure-handling abilities throughout the tournament.