India’s promising badminton pair, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand faced a setback in their quest for a semi-final spot at the BWF World Tour Finals 2024. In their do-or-die final Group A match in Hangzhou, China, India’s lone hope in the tournament lost to Japan’s Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida. The Japanese duo, who are Olympic bronze medalists, won the match 21-17, 21-13.
Despite this loss, Treesa and Gayatri’s tournament has seen some performances. In their opening match, they pushed China’s world No. 1 pair, Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning, to three games. This match against the Olympic silver medallists showed.
Their second match was even more impressive. The Indian pair stunned Malaysia’s Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan, who are ranked sixth in the world and are the current Commonwealth Games champions. This victory was a significant boost for the 13th-ranked Indian duo.
The wait for the title still continues, as the only Indian winning this prestigious title was PV Sindhu in 2018. After that, no Indian has ever touched the trophy in six years.
Competitive first game against Japan
In the match against Matsuyama and Shida, Treesa and Gayatri showed some tough fight in the first game. Despite trailing 18-10 at one point, they fought back to narrow the gap to just two points (19-17), but eventually lost. The experienced Japanese pair proved too strong in the second game. They dominated the proceedings, showcasing why they are ranked fourth in the world.
Recent success and future prospects
Treesa and Gayatri’s participation in the BWF World Tour Finals came on the heels of their recent success. They had just won their second BWF World Tour title at the Syed Modi International Super 300 in Lucknow. The duo’s performance at this prestigious tournament is good for Indian badminton. At just 20 and 21 years old respectively, Treesa and Gayatri represent the future of Indian women’s doubles.
While they missed out on a semi-final berth, the tournament provided valuable experience for the young pair. Competing against Olympic medalists and world champions will undoubtedly contribute to their growth as players.
Looking ahead
As Treesa and Gayatri leave Hangzhou, they carry with them not just the disappointment of missing out on the semi-finals, but also the confidence gained from their strong performances. Their journey at the BWF World Tour Finals 2024 serves as both a milestone and a stepping stone in their badminton careers, giving home to the future starts.
