India's women's doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand secured a medal at the BWF World Championships 2026 after defeating China's Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian in a thrilling quarterfinal in New Delhi on Friday.
The Indian duo recovered from losing the opening game to beat the Chinese pair 16-21, 21-15, 21-13 in a contest that lasted more than 70 minutes at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. With the victory, Treesa and Gayatri entered the semifinals and became only the second Indian women's doubles pair to win a World Championships medal.
The achievement ends a 15-year wait for India in the women's doubles category. Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa had previously won a bronze medal at the 2011 World Championships.
Chinese Pair Takes Early Lead
Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian started the quarterfinal strongly and dictated the pace during the opening game.
Treesa and Gayatri struggled to contain the Chinese pair's attacking play and also committed several errors at crucial stages. Jia and Zhang capitalised on those mistakes to take the first game 21-16.
The Indians, however, quickly regrouped instead of allowing the early setback to affect their momentum.
Treesa-Gayatri Fight Back
The second game saw a significant improvement from the Indian pair.
Treesa and Gayatri tightened their defence, improved their play around the net and began forcing the Chinese pair into longer rallies. The Indians established an early advantage and managed to maintain it through the game.
They eventually won the second game 21-15, taking the match into a deciding third game.
Indians Dominate Decider
The momentum remained with Treesa and Gayatri in the decider.
The Indian pair moved into a 10-5 lead and continued to apply pressure on their opponents. Jia and Zhang attempted to fight their way back into the contest, but the Indians controlled the key exchanges and did not allow the Chinese pair to regain sustained momentum.
Treesa and Gayatri closed out the deciding game 21-13, completing a memorable comeback and booking their place in the semifinals.
Historic Women's Doubles Medal
The semifinal qualification guarantees India a medal in the women's doubles event.
Treesa and Gayatri's achievement is particularly significant because it is only the second time an Indian women's doubles pair has reached the medal stage at the World Championships.
The previous Indian medal came in 2011, when Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa won bronze.
The result therefore marks a major milestone for Treesa and Gayatri, who have emerged as one of India's leading women's doubles combinations.
Straight-Game Win in Round of 16
The Indian pair had entered the quarterfinals after producing another impressive performance in the Round of 16 on Thursday.
Treesa and Gayatri defeated Japan's seventh-seeded combination of Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi in straight games, winning 21-16, 21-12.
They maintained control throughout the contest and overcame the Japanese pair's disciplined defensive play to secure their quarterfinal berth.
Satwik-Chirag Also in Quarterfinal Action
India will also be looking for another medal opportunity in men's doubles.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Malaysia's Arif and Roy 21-23, 21-19, 21-17 in the Round of 32 on Thursday.
The Indian men's doubles pair is scheduled to face China's Lian and Wang in the quarterfinals, with another potential medal place at stake.
Treesa and Gayatri's semifinal qualification has already ensured that India's campaign at the 2026 World Championships will include at least one medal, while attention now turns to their semifinal and the men's doubles challenge.
---copy1.jpg)
8.jpg)
