Treesa-Gayatri’s Stunning Comeback: India Duo One Win Away From World Championships Medal

Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand have transformed an injury-hit season into a World Championships medal opportunity, reaching the quarter-finals in New Delhi with an emphatic 21-16, 21-12 victory over Japan’s seventh seeds Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi. The unseeded Indians are now just one win away from securing a podium finish.

Their next challenge is formidable. The pair will face China’s top-seeded and defending champions Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning, who advanced by defeating Bulgaria’s Gabriela and Stefani Stoeva 21-16, 21-18. Liu and Tan have been among the dominant forces in women’s doubles, making them the toughest possible test for the Indians.

The Chinese combination also holds a clear 5-1 head-to-head advantage over Treesa and Gayatri. Their most recent notable meeting came at the 2025 All England Open, where Liu and Tan won 21-14, 21-10. The Indians’ lone victory came in 2023, underlining the scale of the task ahead.

Yet the Indians have reasons for optimism. Treesa’s serious ankle injury earlier this year disrupted their campaign and forced a lengthy rehabilitation. An MRI showed two high-grade muscle tears and two ligament tears, keeping the pair away from competition during a crucial part of the season.

Their comeback has steadily gathered momentum. Treesa and Gayatri returned at the Indonesia Open, competed at the US Open and then won the Philippine International Challenge earlier this month. Their World Championships run has now added two major victories, including the upset of the seventh seeds.

A medal is therefore realistically within reach, although the Chinese world No. 1 pair will make them underdogs. If Treesa can reproduce her attacking power while Gayatri maintains her sharp net play and the duo sustains their recent confidence, another upset could turn their comeback into a landmark achievement.