Eleven years - that's how long it has been since a women's doubles pair from India reached the quarterfinal of a BWF World Championship. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand matched what Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponappa had done in 2015 with a commanding win at the 2026 World Championship at home in Delhi.
Just four months after an ankle injury ended their Uber Cup hopes, they are now a win away from a historic medal. The world no. 39 pair knocked out seventh seeds Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi of Japan 21-16, 21-12 in 44 minutes, in a performance that was full of intent, attacking, and encouraging.
The bigger role reversal here, though, was not just the unseeded pair advancing, but the way Gayatri and Treesa have been rotating roles on court and quietly creating more balance, which can be crucial in women's doubles.
Gayatri, with her nifty touch at the net, is now commanding the back court more regularly; Treesa, the power smasher, is happy to patrol at the front.
"In our combination, mostly she's at the back, and I'm ahead but, we've been working on both. I've been playing in the back court, she's been doing really well in the front court, so it works well," Gayatri said after the match.
This is a small touch but can prove to be a big differential as the two try to rebuild their ranking after an injury-marred last year for both of them. With Gayatri moving back at times, the pair can have more time and balance to set up for the shots that can end points effectively. "She has a huge smash so she can end points," said Gayatri on setting up points for her partner.
Taking the initiative.
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Gayatri playing towards the back also adds more control, according to Arun Vishnu, their long-time former coach. "Sometimes when Gayatri is behind, there can be more control on pace, Treesa can go full pace," he said in Delhi after their second-round win.
The other thing is how they are back at peak physical condition, with both players looking visibly fitter, the kind that comes with hours in the strength and conditioning. This showed in the swiftness of their attack in all their three matches so far, where they have not dropped a game so far.
The Japanese pair was seeded seventh but the Indians are former top 10 players too and got there by having the more unconventional skill of playing shorter rallies and killing points quickly in women's doubles. That can be a double-edged sword in a discipline more attuned to longer rallies and control on the shuttle for extended periods. But when fully fit, the ability to end points, both with winners and forcing errors can be the difference between wins and losses. Indeed, one of the things coach Pullela Gopichand was telling them was to focus on attack.
To get the attack going against the defence of a Japanese pair is commendable. To do it at home, when the small crowd is cheering for you can be added pressure. But both have been remarkably calm so far in Delhi, even when Treesa was given a yellow card for shuttle abuse, even when there were unhappy with an umpiring call over a racquet touch that the Japanese reviewed. Gopichand was seen asking them to calm down and Treesa to come back [from arguing with the chair umpire], which she did, and then went on to clinch the match with relative ease.
In April, they were forced to pull out of the Uber Cup (akin to the World Cup of badminton) due to an ankle injury to Treesa that has affected this season. In August, they are now one win away from a medal. Up next are the Chinese no. 4 pair of Jia Yi Fan, the reigning champion, with her new partner Zhang Shuxian. A Chinese pair is as tough as it gets, but haven't there been enough upsets in this World Championship already?