Treesa-Gayatri script stunning comeback to assure India a World Championships medal
India's Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand assured themselves of a medal at the BWF World Championships with a gritty come-from-behind victory over China's Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian in the women's doubles quarterfinal on Friday. The unseeded Indian pair won 16-21, 21-15, 21-13 in one hour and nine minutes to reach the semifinals and guarantee at least a bronze medal.
This is India's first women's doubles medal at the World Championships since Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa won bronze in 2011 in London. For Treesa and Gayatri, who had lost all three previous meetings against the Chinese pair, this victory marks the biggest win of their careers.
The match began with the Chinese duo taking an early 6-1 lead. The Indians fought back with six straight points to narrow the gap to 8-9, but Jia and Zhang maintained their composure to enter the interval with a three-point cushion. Despite intense net battles and several long rallies, the Indians could not close the deficit, and the Chinese took the opening game 21-16.
After the change of sides, the Chinese pair carried their momentum forward, racing to a 5-1 lead and later moving to 10-7. Treesa and Gayatri responded with a spirited burst, turning the score around to lead 13-10. The contest remained tight until 15-14, after which the Indians produced another decisive run to open a 19-14 lead and level the match by winning the second game 21-15.
In the deciding game, Treesa and Gayatri came out with renewed energy, surging to an 11-5 lead at the interval. They extended their advantage to 14-7 with a flurry of points, but a few unforced errors from the Indians gave the Chinese a glimmer of hope. However, Jia and Zhang failed to capitalise, making a series of errors at the net as the Indians raced to a 17-9 lead.
The contrast in body language was evident. Treesa and Gayatri celebrated every point with fist pumps and high-fives, while the Chinese pair's shoulders drooped under pressure. Gayatri's flat exchanges with Jia and Zhang were a highlight of the match, and the experienced Chinese pair began to crumble. At 18-9, they sent another shot wide.
The Indians missed a couple of opportunities at the net but held their nerve. They earned nine match points when Jia and Zhang again found the net. The Chinese saved two, but then sprayed another shot wide. Treesa fell flat on the court in celebration, while Gayatri looked in disbelief as the Indians completed a stunning comeback.
Treesa and Gayatri have been on a comeback trail since Treesa suffered an ankle injury earlier this year during training ahead of the Asia Badminton Championships and the Uber Cup. After a gruelling rehabilitation, they returned to competitive play at the Indonesia Open, competed at the U.S. Open, and won the Philippine International Challenge earlier this month.
The pair had previously made headlines by reaching the All England Open semifinals in 2022 and 2023, winning a bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and breaking into the top 10 of the women's doubles rankings last year. This World Championships medal adds another significant achievement to their growing list of accomplishments.
