Gayatri Gopichand-Treesa Jolly Upset 7th Seeds At BWF Worlds, Medal Within Reach

Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly continued their impressive run at the BWF World Championships, defeating seventh seeds Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi of Japan in straight games to reach the quarter-finals.

The Indian pair, ranked 39th in the world, produced an attacking masterclass at the Indira Gandhi Stadium on Thursday, winning 21-16, 21-12 in the Round of 16. The result puts Gayatri and Treesa just one victory away from a World Championships medal. A win in the quarter-finals would guarantee the Indians a place in the semi-finals and secure at least a bronze.

Indian Pair Dominate From Start

Treesa’s powerful jump-smashes once again proved crucial, while Gayatri controlled the rallies and created opportunities from the front court.

The Indians also kept changing their formations, with Treesa moving forward to attack at the net and Gayatri taking charge from the back. Their ability to combine power with clever drops and pushes repeatedly unsettled the Japanese pair.

The win was particularly significant because Iwanaga and Nakanishi had beaten the Indians in their previous meeting three years ago. The Japanese duo had also won bronze at the 2025 World Championships.

Despite some frustration over disputed line calls, Gayatri and Treesa remained composed. Treesa received a yellow card during the match, but the pair quickly regained focus.

“He just told us to stay calm, focus on attack,” Gayatri said of coach Pullela Gopichand’s message during the tense moments.

Tough Chinese Test Next

The Indians will face world No. 4 Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian of China in the quarter-finals on Friday. Gayatri and Treesa have lost all three of their previous meetings with the Chinese pair, making the next match another major test.

A victory would make them only the second Indian women’s doubles pair to win a medal at the World Championships after Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa, who claimed bronze in 2011.

Treesa-Gayatri Make Strong Comeback

Their World Championships campaign has been especially impressive after Treesa’s injury kept the pair sidelined for three months. They returned to competition at the Philippines International in August, winning the tournament as they gradually regained their rhythm.

Their performances in Delhi have since underlined their return to top form, with their aggressive attacking game and improved rotations causing problems for higher-ranked opponents.

The victory also gave India a strong start on a challenging day at the World Championships, with PV Sindhu, Ayush Shetty, Dhruv Kapila-Tanisha Crasto and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty among the other Indian players in action.