Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand’s remarkable run at the BWF World Championships came to an end in the semifinals as the Indian pair lost to China’s top-seeded duo Tan Ning and Liu Sheng Shu in three games on Saturday. After producing one of the biggest wins of their careers in the quarterfinals, Treesa and Gayatri pushed the Chinese pair hard but eventually went down 21-18, 13-21, 8-21 in a contest that lasted 70 minutes.Despite the semifinal defeat, the Indian duo will return home with a historic bronze medal, ending India’s long wait for a World Championships medal in women’s doubles.
Treesa-Gayatri make strong start
The Indians began the semifinal with confidence and held their nerve in a tightly contested opening game. With both pairs trading points, Treesa and Gayatri managed to stay ahead when it mattered most and eventually closed out the first game 21-18, moving within one game of a place in the World Championships final.The Chinese top seeds, however, responded strongly in the second game.Tan and Liu raised the intensity and began dictating the rallies, leaving the Indian pair struggling to find the same rhythm they had displayed in the opening game. The Chinese duo levelled the contest by taking the second game 21-13.
China dominate the decider
With everything to play for in the deciding game, Tan and Liu quickly established control. Treesa and Gayatri were unable to match the pace and precision of their opponents as the Chinese pair opened up a significant lead. The Indians tried to fight their way back into the contest, but Tan and Liu continued to dominate the crucial rallies.The top seeds eventually closed out the decider 21-8 to book their place in the World Championships final.While the defeat ended Treesa and Gayatri’s hopes of reaching the final, their campaign has already secured their place in Indian badminton history. The pair became only the second Indian women’s doubles combination to win a medal at the BWF World Championships, following Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa, who won bronze in 2011.Their historic medal came after a stunning quarterfinal victory over world No. 4 Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian. Treesa and Gayatri recovered from losing the opening game to defeat the Chinese pair 16-21, 21-15, 21-13.The young Indians’ run also ended India’s wait for a women’s doubles Worlds medal spanning 15 years.
