They did not arrive in New Delhi as medal favourites. They were not even among the seeded pairs but after playing four matches in the World Championships in new Delhi, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Pullela Gopichand have gone from being India’s outside bet to securing country’s only medal of the tournament.
India’s campaign in New Delhi has seen big wins, painful defeats and unexpected results. But as Satwik Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty bowed out in the quarterfinals, the spotlight has now fallen completely on Treesa and Gayatri. The young pair have already secured a World Championship medal but they are not satisfied with just that. On Saturday, they will face top seeded, Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning of China, for a place in the final. The Chinese pair have defeated the Indian duo six times, while Treesa and Gayatri have beaten them just once in their head-to-head record.
Their run to the semifinals has been built on much more than just good form. It has been a story of patience, hard work and belief.
Treesa and Gayatri entered the tournament without the weight of being the favourites. That may have helped them play with freedom. They first defeated Japan’s sixth seeds, Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi, 21-16, 21-12, in the Round of 16. Then came the biggest test of their campaign.
In the quarterfinal, they faced China’s fourth seeds, Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian. The Indians lost the opening game, 16-21, after falling 0-6 behind. Against such experienced opponents, the match could easily have slipped away. Instead, Treesa and Gayatri changed the game.
They became more aggressive, moved focused and kept changing their positions. Gayatri took more responsibility from the back court with her powerful attack, while Treesa showed her ability to defend and create chances from the front. The two kept switching roles and made it difficult for the Chinese pair to settle.
The turning point came in the second game. A 43-shot rally showed the kind of fight the Indians were bringing to the court. They absorbed the pressure, returned every shot with purpose and eventually forced an error from their opponent. That was the moment when the Chinese pair began to lose their rhythm.
Treesa and Gayatri won the second game 21-15 and carried that momentum into the decider. They were calm even when the pressure grew inside a packed Indira Gandhi Arena. Their 11-5 lead at the interval soon became an even bigger advantage, and they never allowed Jia and Zhang to recover.
When the final point came, the emotion said everything. Treesa dropped to the floor before rushing to hug coach Pullela Gopichand. Gayatri joined the celebration as the home crowd witnessed history. It was a moment that showed how much the pair had gone through to reach this stage.
Treesa’s ankle injury earlier this year had forced her away from important matches, including the Asian Championships. The setback was difficult, but the pair used that time to work on strength, fitness and their understanding on court. Gayatri stood by Treesa during her tough period. The bond has only grown stronger.
That partnership is now one of their biggest strengths. Their medal is India’s second-ever World Championship medal in women’s doubles and the first since Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa’s bronze in 2011.
Treesa and Gayatri know the job is not yet done. India’s other medal hopes are gone. Satwik and Chirag are out of the Championships. The pressure is now on the young women’s doubles pair.
They came to New Delhi without the tag of favourites but they stunned the world with every single round. Now, they stand just one win away from a World Championship final.
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