BWF World C'ships: Treesa-Gayatri clinch India's second-ever women's doubles medal

New Delhi: The dream run of Indian women’s doubles stars Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand ended in the semi-finals of the BWF World Championships on Saturday.

The pair went down fighting against world No. 1 Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning of China in three games, 21-18, 13-21, 8-21, to secure a historic bronze medal.

This is India’s 16th medal at the BWF World Championships and only the second-ever in women’s doubles, coming after a 15-year wait since Ashwini Ponnappa and Jwala Gutta won bronze in 2011.

With this result, India’s campaign in New Delhi concluded with a single bronze medal, but the young pair ensured that the country’s medal-winning streak continues in every edition of the World Championships since 2011.

A brave fight

The Indian pair made a strong start, with Treesa and Gayatri troubling the Chinese duo with their sharp coordination. Treesa, in particular, was excellent at the net as the Indians raced to a 7-2 lead in the opening game.

But the Chinese pair fought back, applying pressure with deceptive shots and reclaiming the initiative. They won 10 points in a row to take the lead for the first time at 12-7, repeatedly finding openings in the Indian backcourt.

The topsy-turvy contest continued, with the Chinese holding a slim 18-16 advantage heading into the final phase. However, the Indians shifted into top gear, winning the next five points to take the opening game.

In the second game, the Chinese started strongly after a few unforced errors from the Indians and built an early lead. Treesa and Gayatri recovered to edge ahead 11-10 at the mid-game interval, showing excellent defensive resilience.

After the break, though, the momentum swung sharply. Unforced errors began to creep into the Indian game, and they managed to win only two of the next 13 points as the Chinese levelled the match and forced a decider.

In the third game, the Indian pair struggled to maintain their composure. A series of loose shots crept into their game as they were increasingly rattled by the Chinese attack. Liu and Tan took control and eventually closed out the match, bringing an end to Treesa and Gayatri’s historic run in New Delhi.

But despite the defeat, the Indian pair leave the World Championships with a historic bronze and have firmly announced themselves on the biggest stage.