Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand defend Syed Modi International women’s doubles title

Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand successfully defended their women’s doubles title at the Syed Modi International Super 300 after defeating Japan’s Kaho Osawa and Mai Tanabe in a high-quality final in Lucknow on Sunday.

The top-seeded Indian pair rallied from a game down to claim a 17-21, 21-13, 21-15 victory, completing a demanding one hour and 16-minute contest.

The match opened with an intense 49-shot rally, signalling the tight battle to follow. The Japanese duo struck early to lead 6-3, but Treesa’s sharp smashes helped India recover to 8-6. Osawa and Tanabe regained control at the mid-game interval and held their advantage to take the opener, sealing it after the Indians saved two game points.

Switching sides proved beneficial for Treesa and Gayatri, who quickly settled into a stronger rhythm. Their anticipation and attacking clarity pushed them ahead 9-2 before they entered the break with an 11-5 cushion.

Treesa’s powerful backcourt play and quick interceptions kept the pressure on, and the Indians forced a decider after converting their third game point.

In the final game, India established a 7-4 lead, briefly stumbled due to miscommunication, and then restored control through sharp net play. A deceptive touch from Treesa and a forceful finish from Gayatri extended their advantage to six points at the interval. Although the Japanese pair closed the gap to 12-14 and later 13-15, the Indians produced timely winners to stay ahead.

A precise drop shot from Treesa set up six match points, and India completed the win on the second opportunity to lift their second consecutive title.

In men’s singles, Kidambi Srikanth fell short in a close final, losing 21-16, 8-21, 22-20 to Indonesia’s Jason Gunawan.