Indian duo secures pre-quarterfinals berth
The unseeded Indian pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand have advanced to the pre-quarterfinals of the women’s doubles event at the BWF World Championships. They defeated the 16th-seeded American duo of Lauren Lam and Allison Quynh Lee in straight games.
The match, which lasted 38 minutes, saw the Indian combination win with scores of 21-15 and 21-12. Jolly contributed with powerful smashes, while Gopichand maintained play with deft drop shots, helping them secure the first game comfortably. They continued their aggressive play in the second game, establishing an 11-4 lead at the break.
Their performance was marked by precise line judgments and quick hand movements, allowing them to close out the contest. This victory follows their first-round win against Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez, which they secured 21-9, 21-13 in 33 minutes.
Arjuna Award recognition and renewed form
The progression in the tournament coincides with the announcement of the Arjuna Award for both Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly. This national sporting honour was announced on the same day as their second-round victory. Gayatri expressed her gratitude, stating she felt proud and grateful for the recognition.
The award, which arrived after an initial delay in the selection process, marks a significant moment for both players. For Gayatri, it brings the Arjuna Award back to the Gopichand household after 27 years, while for Treesa, it fulfills a long-held dream of her father.
This period of recognition and strong performance follows a challenging time for the pair. Treesa Jolly had been sidelined for three months due to an injury in training, which involved two ligament tears and two muscle tears. This injury caused their ranking to drop from approximately 20 to nearly 60, leading them to miss the Asian Badminton Championships and the Uber Cup.
Before the World Championships, the duo began rebuilding their confidence by winning the Philippine International Challenge. Their coach, Arun Vishnu, has expressed confidence in their current form, suggesting they could potentially win a medal at the World Championships if they maintain their momentum.
Upcoming challenge and evolving gameplay
In the next round, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand are scheduled to face the seventh-seeded Japanese pair of Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi. Coach Arun Vishnu believes this challenge is manageable, noting the Indian pair’s control in their recent matches.
Their gameplay has shown improvements, particularly in their rotation, which adds an element of unpredictability. Pundits observed that Gayatri, typically a front-court player, has shown willingness to stay back, while Treesa has incorporated more deceptive drops from the back of the court. This evolving strategy was also noted by their recent opponents, Lam and Lee.
The other Indian women’s doubles pair, Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi, exited the tournament in the second round after losing to Bulgaria’s ninth-seeded pair of Gabriela Stoeva and Stefani Stoeva with scores of 7-21 and 14-21 in 32 minutes.
In mixed doubles, Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde, along with Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh, were eliminated in the opening round. However, the 15th-seeded Indian mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto received a bye in the first round and will compete against Iok Chong Leong and Weng Chi NG of Macau in the second round. Additionally, women’s singles shuttler Unnati Hooda progressed to the second round by defeating Thet Htar Thuzar of Myanmar 22-20, 21-16 in a 40-minute match.
Unnati Hooda is set to play against 13th seed CAN Michelle Li of Canada in her next match.
Source: theprint.in
