The Indian badminton pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand bowed out of the Hong Kong Open 2024 after a hard-fought defeat in the women’s doubles pre-quarterfinals on Thursday. The Commonwealth Games bronze medallists lost to China’s second-seeded duo, Liu Sheng and Tan Ning, with a scoreline of 21-11, 22-20.
Tough start for Treesa Jolly, Gayatri Gopichand
The first game was a dominant display from the Chinese pair, who quickly pulled ahead after a brief 3-2 lead. Liu and Ning’s swift and aggressive gameplay left little room for the Indian duo to recover, as they cruised to a 21-11 victory. Jolly and Gopichand, ranked 26th in the world, struggled to break the momentum of the third-ranked Chinese pair.
Valiant fightback in second game
Despite the setback in the first game, the Indian pair made an impressive comeback in the second. Jolly and Gopichand fought hard, keeping the score level at 15-15 and later at 20-20.
Their resilience and determination brought them close to forcing a deciding game, but Liu and Ning managed to edge past them, clinching the game 22-20 and sealing their spot in the quarterfinals. The match lasted 41 minutes.
Head-to-head Record
This defeat marked the second consecutive loss for Jolly and Gopichand against the formidable Chinese pair, who now hold a 2-1 lead in their head-to-head encounters.
Earlier in the tournament, the Indian duo had comfortably defeated Ukraine’s Polina Buhrova and Yevheniia Kantemyr in the opening round with a straight-set victory, 21-14, 21-13.
Indian hopes now rest on Mixed Doubles
With Jolly and Gopichand out of the competition, India’s focus now shifts to the mixed doubles category.
The pair of Sumeeth Reddy and Sikki Reddy will face Malaysia’s eighth-seeded duo, Goh Soon Huat and Lai Shevon Jemie, in their pre-quarterfinals later in the day, keeping Indian hopes alive in the BWF World Tour Super 500 event.
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