New Delhi, India’s Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand assured themselves of a medal at the World Championships with a come-from-behind win over China’s Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian in the women’s doubles quarterfinal here on Friday.
The duo made the Chinese work hard, engaging them in several intense net battles. Gayatri’s fierce flat exchanges with the Jia and Zhang were one of the highlights of the match. The experienced Chinese pair began to crumble under the relentless pressure. The Indians missed a couple of opportunities at the net, but continued to hold their nerve. They earned nine match points when Jia and Zhang once again failed to negotiate a shot and found the net. Jia and Zhang saved two match points, but then sprayed another shot wide. Treesa fell flat on the court in celebration, while Gayatri looked in disbelief as the Indians completed a stunning comeback. However, early this year, Treesa suffered an ankle injury while training ahead of the Asia Badminton Championships and Uber Cup.
The Indians came into the match with a 0-3 head-to-head record against their Chinese opponents. The Indians continued to fight, staying within touching distance at 13-15 after some excellent rallies. Zhang and Jia, however, moved to 17-14 before closing out the opening game. After the change of sides, Zhang and Jia carried their momentum into the second game, opening up a 5-1 lead and then moving to 10-7. But the Indians responded with a spirited comeback, turning the tables to move ahead 13-10. The contest remained tight, with the score reaching 15-14 at one stage. The Indians then produced another decisive burst to open up a 19-14 lead and roar back into the contest. At 18-9, they sent another shot wide.
