India's Thomas Cup semifinal march powered by growing belief, says Ayush Shetty

NEW DELHI: India's march into the semifinals of the Thomas Cup has been powered not just by performance but by growing belief, with young shuttler Ayush Shetty declaring that the team - champion in 2022 - is confident of going the distance and reclaiming the title.

Having sealed India's emphatic 3-0 quarterfinal win over Chinese Taipei, Ayush made his intent clear after producing a superb 21-16, 21-17 victory over world No. 8 Lin Chun-Yi.

“We believe that we can go all the way. It's always been like this. We have a solid team and everyone believes that we can do it," Ayush said, underlining the squad's collective confidence.

The 20-year-old, playing his maiden Thomas Cup, has been unbeaten so far and credited the team's early dominance for easing pressure in the knockout clash.

“Yesterday was the group stage, but today there was a bit more pressure. Being 2-0 up made it a bit easier. I think I played with confidence and I'm happy to win for the team," he added.

Ayush also revealed a clear tactical approach against Lin. “He's an All England champion and has a really strong attack. The plan was to attack more and not give him many chances, and I think I executed that pretty well. I'm happy," he said.

Lakshya's fearless comeback sets tone

India's charge was ignited by Lakshya Sen, who scripted a remarkable comeback to defeat world No. 6 Chou Tien Chen 18-21, 22-20, 21-17, saving two match points in the process.

“It was a really good first game from him. He was much more fearless and I was a bit unsure whether to attack or defend," Lakshya admitted.

“The second and third game, even though they went to deuce, I just took an approach of not waiting for things to happen. I tried to be more proactive, especially in the closing stages."

He also revealed how he overcame early nerves. “My coach told me I didn't look confident and that I was overthinking my strategies. He asked me to stop thinking too much and just play with my instincts," he said.

Doubles pair deliver under pressure

The experienced duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty then put India in command with a hard-fought win.

“We really wanted that first tie in our favor… to see him win from 20-18 down to 20-20 and the way he celebrated it, I also celebrated the same way," Chirag said, highlighting the team's energy.

Satwik emphasised composure as the key factor. “We had to calm down ourselves… we just wanted to play a little bit more calm and stick to the strategy," he explained.