NEW DELHI — In a historic milestone for Indian badminton, unseeded women's doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand staged a dramatic comeback victory over China's world No. 4 duo Jia Yifan and Zhang Shuxian on Friday. The thrilling 16-21, 21-15, 21-13 quarterfinal triumph at the BWF World Championships secured India's first medal in women's doubles since 2011.

Tactical Comeback Silences Chinese Offense

Facing the fourth-seeded Chinese pair, the Indian duo struggled early as Jia and Zhang seized control of net exchanges to capture the opening game 21-16.

However, Treesa and Gayatri shifted their tactical approach in the second game. Utilizing sharp cross-court smashes and disciplined flat drives, the Indians established an 11-10 lead at the mid-game interval. They sustained unrelenting pressure to close out the second game 21-15, forcing a decider.

Decisive Third Game Surge

The decider saw Treesa's backcourt power combine with Gayatri's precise interceptive net play. Locked at 4-4, the Indian pair executed a defining seven-point scoring run to build an 11-5 advantage.

Unforced errors mounted for the Chinese pair under pressure, allowing Treesa and Gayatri to stretch their lead to 18-9 before sealing the match 21-13 after over an hour of intense play.

Historic Context and Men's Doubles Update

The win assures Treesa and Gayatri of at least a bronze medal, making them only the second Indian women's doubles pair to stand on a BWF World Championship podium. The legendary duo of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa previously earned bronze in 2011.

Later on Friday, India's star men's doubles tandem of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will take the court for their quarterfinal clash. The fifth seeds face China's third-seeded pair Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang as they pursue India's second medal of the tournament.

NEW DELHI — In a historic milestone for Indian badminton, unseeded women's doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand staged a dramatic comeback victory over China's world No. 4 duo Jia Yifan and Zhang Shuxian on Friday. The thrilling 16-21, 21-15, 21-13 quarterfinal triumph at the BWF World Championships secured India's first medal in women's doubles since 2011.

Tactical Comeback Silences Chinese Offense

Facing the fourth-seeded Chinese pair, the Indian duo struggled early as Jia and Zhang seized control of net exchanges to capture the opening game 21-16.

However, Treesa and Gayatri shifted their tactical approach in the second game. Utilizing sharp cross-court smashes and disciplined flat drives, the Indians established an 11-10 lead at the mid-game interval. They sustained unrelenting pressure to close out the second game 21-15, forcing a decider.

Decisive Third Game Surge

The decider saw Treesa's backcourt power combine with Gayatri's precise interceptive net play. Locked at 4-4, the Indian pair executed a defining seven-point scoring run to build an 11-5 advantage.

Unforced errors mounted for the Chinese pair under pressure, allowing Treesa and Gayatri to stretch their lead to 18-9 before sealing the match 21-13 after over an hour of intense play.

Historic Context and Men's Doubles Update

The win assures Treesa and Gayatri of at least a bronze medal, making them only the second Indian women's doubles pair to stand on a BWF World Championship podium. The legendary duo of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa previously earned bronze in 2011.

Later on Friday, India's star men's doubles tandem of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will take the court for their quarterfinal clash. The fifth seeds face China's third-seeded pair Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang as they pursue India's second medal of the tournament.