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New Delhi: Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand assured India of at least a bronze medal at the Badminton World Championships after producing a spirited comeback victory over China’s Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian in the women’s doubles quarterfinal at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Friday.

The unseeded Indian pair overcame a slow start to defeat their Chinese opponents 16-21, 21-15, 21-13 in a closely fought contest lasting one hour and nine minutes.

The victory took Treesa and Gayatri into the semifinals and secured India’s first women’s doubles medal at the World Championships since 2011.

Indian pair stages impressive comeback

Treesa and Gayatri were forced to chase the match after dropping the opening game 16-21.

The Indian duo, however, responded strongly in the second game. Backed by the home crowd, they sharpened their attacking play, produced more effective smashes and improved their exchanges at the net.

The change in approach helped the Indians take control of the contest. They won the second game 21-15 to level the match and force a deciding game.

Treesa and Gayatri carried the momentum into the third game. Their more aggressive play and cleaner net work put the Chinese pair under increasing pressure.

The Indians eventually closed out the deciding game 21-13 to complete a memorable comeback and book their place in the last four.

Medal drought in women’s doubles ends

The semifinal berth guarantees India at least a bronze medal in the women’s doubles competition.

India’s previous women’s doubles medal at the BWF World Championships came in 2011, when Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa won bronze in London.

Treesa and Gayatri’s achievement therefore marks an important moment for Indian women’s doubles badminton and gives the home contingent another reason to celebrate at the championships.

The result also underlines the progress made by the pair despite a difficult period caused by Treesa’s injury.

Injury setback tested partnership

Treesa and Gayatri had established themselves among India’s leading women’s doubles pairs before the latest tournament.

They reached the semifinals of the All England Open in consecutive years in 2022 and 2023. The duo also won a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and broke into the world’s top 10 at the beginning of last year.

Their progress was interrupted earlier this year when Treesa suffered an ankle injury while training ahead of the Asia Badminton Championships and Uber Cup.

The injury occurred when Treesa accidentally stepped on Gayatri’s foot during practice, resulting in a twist to her ankle. An MRI scan subsequently revealed two high-grade muscle tears and two ligament tears.

The serious nature of the injury forced Treesa to undergo an extensive rehabilitation programme before returning to competitive badminton.

Strong return to international competition

After completing her rehabilitation, Treesa returned to competition alongside Gayatri at the Indonesia Open.

The pair subsequently competed at the US Open before winning the Philippine International Challenge earlier this month.

Their run at the World Championships represents another significant step in their comeback.

The quarterfinal victory against Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian was particularly notable because the Indian pair entered the tournament unseeded and had to overcome a higher-profile Chinese combination to reach the medal rounds.

The support of the home crowd at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium also appeared to provide the Indian duo with additional energy during their comeback.

India keeps women’s doubles hopes alive

With Treesa and Gayatri now through to the semifinals, India’s hopes in the women’s doubles competition remain alive.

The achievement comes after India’s singles campaign ended on Thursday, when P V Sindhu and Ayush Shetty were eliminated in the pre-quarterfinals.

The women’s doubles run has therefore provided a major boost to India’s campaign at the World Championships.

For Treesa and Gayatri, the result is also a reward for their persistence through injury and rehabilitation. Having returned to the circuit only recently, they have now secured a place among the world’s top four pairs at the sport’s premier global event.

The Indian pair will now look to build on their quarterfinal performance and push for a place in the final. Regardless of the outcome of their semifinal, their victory over the Chinese pair has already secured them a World Championships medal.