14 hours ago
India began Day 4 of the BWF World Championships 2026 in style as the women's doubles pair of Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly stunned seventh seeds Kie Nakanishi and Rin Iwanaga of Japan 21-16, 21-12 to book their place in the quarterfinals at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi on Thursday.
The Indian pair, who had beaten the 16th-seeded American combination of Lauren Lam and Allison Quynh Lee in the round of 32, recovered from a difficult phase in the opening game before taking complete control in the second. Their quarterfinal appearance also means Gayatri and Treesa are now just one win away from securing a medal at the World Championships.
Gayatri-Treesa fight back after Japanese rally
Both pairs made an even start to the quarterfinal, trading points until the score reached 8-8. Gayatri and Treesa then produced three points in a row to take an 11-9 lead into the mid-game interval.
The Indians extended their advantage to 13-9, but the Japanese seventh seeds suddenly turned the contest around, stringing together seven consecutive points to move 16-13 ahead.
With the opening game slipping away, Gayatri and Treesa changed their approach. They began mixing their attacking shots with drop shots and put the Japanese pair under sustained pressure, producing eight points in a row to close out the game 21-16.
Treesa said the pair did not have a clear plan at the beginning and needed a few points to understand how the match was developing.
“We didn’t have a plan in the beginning. We just entered the game and, after two or three points, understood how we had to play,” Treesa said.
The advice from their coaches then helped them change the momentum. “Initially, it was pretty neck-and-neck, but then we went to our coaches and they gave us some tips. We started attacking a lot more in the second half of the first game and in the second set, and I think it worked in our favour,” she said.
Gayatri also credited the coaches for helping the pair remain composed after the Japanese comeback.
“The coaches gave us a few tips that were really helpful, both mentally and physically. We implemented them, and they worked really well,” Gayatri said.
“They just told us to stay calm and focus on attacking. There were a lot of things, actually.”
Indians take control early in second game
Gayatri and Treesa carried the momentum from the first game into the second, moving 6-3 ahead as they continued to attack and force the Japanese pair into uncomfortable positions.
Nakanishi and Iwanaga tried to respond with faster rallies, but the Indians had answers and reached the mid-game interval with an 11-4 advantage.
The Japanese pair then put together four consecutive points to reduce the deficit to 8-12, briefly raising the possibility of another fightback.
Gayatri and Treesa, however, remained composed and responded with a four-point burst of their own. A series of close calls went in the Indians' favour as they extended their lead to 16-9.
The seventh seeds tried to stay in the contest, but the Indian pair continued to apply pressure and forced error after error. Gayatri and Treesa eventually closed out the second game 21-12 to become the first Indian pair to reach the quarterfinals of the women's doubles event at the 2026 World Championships.
Gayatri said staying calm had been particularly important after the Japanese pair's fightback in both games.
“The nerves were up there, so the coaches just wanted us to stay calm,” she said.
Composure is the key
That composure has become one of the pair's strengths as they have developed their partnership. Treesa pointed to their rotation and attacking play as two of the areas that have worked particularly well.
“I think the rotation and attacking are two of our strengths. While playing, it’s really working for us. We’re also quite calm when we’re leading. At this level, we need to be really calm and stay in the moment,” Treesa said.
The pair's confidence has also grown after Treesa's return from injury. Gayatri continued training and competing while waiting for her partner to return, and Treesa said being back on court at this level has given them renewed belief.
“Obviously, when I got injured, Gayatri was still playing and keeping herself fit while waiting for me to come back. I’m really happy to be here and playing at this level again. This is what we love and what we want to do,” Treesa said.
“Coming here and playing good matches gave us confidence and belief in ourselves.”
Gayatri said the pair are now focused on maintaining the same composure as they move into the last eight.
“Like we said, we need to be calm and stay in the present moment. We came here with a goal, and we are focusing on that,” she said.
With a straight-game win over the seventh seeds, Gayatri and Treesa have reached the World Championship quarterfinals for the first time and are now one victory away from guaranteeing themselves a medal.
