Journey ends in semis, but Treesa-Gayatri prove they can go miles in the future

Journey ends in semis, but Treesa-Gayatri prove they can go miles going forward Indian women's doubles pair runs out of gas after winning opening game against top-ranked Chinese Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning, but hold immense promise for the future.

Key points

• 6 min read New Delhi Updated: Aug 22, 2026 10: 47 PM IST.
• Playing perhaps the biggest match of their careers, the Indians were riding a phenomenal wave of confidence after taking the opening set 21-18.
• Treesa-Gayatri have done well to finish in the Last 4 despite being ranked close to No.40.
• Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning are credited with changing the DNA of women's doubles in badminton.
• 8, 000 fans, one heartbeat: how Delhi turned a semi-final loss into a celebration.

India's Treesa Jolly, right and Gayatri Gopichand Pullela play against China's Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning in a semi final match of the Badminton World Championships in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup).

Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning are credited with changing the DNA of women's doubles in badminton. Their aggressive smash, the fastest recorded at 398 kph on Saturday, has annihilated a number of opponents and seen them win every third tournament they play – including the last World Championships – since the start of 2025. They defeated Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand 21-2, 21-11 at the 2024 Asian Championship. But the last two times, the Indians have taken matters into the decider.

Meanwhile, the World Championships bronze, after an 18-21, 21-13, 21-8 loss in the semis in 71 minutes, that supported continue India's medal streak dating back to 2011, was tinged with heavy regret for Gayatri and Treesa as their challenge unraveled under a scathing onslaught from the generational Chinese talents. This person play attacking badminton with more venom than anyone.

Gayatri Gopichand is more than a surname. She is an Indian youngster under immense pressure to carve her own identity. She is additionally the free-flowing, attack-blazing Treesa Jolly's teammate – anticipated to steady things on court – who the Chinese cannily kept away from the shuttle in the semifinals. She was starved of the opportunity to take control of rallies as the top-ranked pair kept peppering Treesa, not since she is a fragile link (far from it), but since they wanted to tire Treesa out.

Playing perhaps the biggest match of their careers, the Indians were riding a phenomenal wave of confidence after taking the opening set 21-18. Treesa was sublime in her court gallops – at the net, from the back, all at once, her defence as phenomenal as her attack.

Notably, the Chinese, who were looking for revenge after the Indians denied the Jia-Zhang pairing a medal in the quarters, had spent the first game keeping Gayatri away from taking control. In the second, the Indians broke as she went into a spiral.

"Treesa was playing really well from the back. If I could've backed her more, we may have won more points in the second, " a teary Gayatri would say afterwards.

Her spirit might've been shattered on the day, but the ambition is stoked.

"The second game, they played particularly patiently and I think we couldn't match it. It happens. But additionally in the third game, there were a few points which we could have converted, but the rhythm didn't come, " she went on.

8, 000 fans, one heartbeat: how Delhi turned a semi-final loss into a celebration. That's since Liu-Tan will demand the next gear.

"After our mistakes, we became unconfident and full of doubt. But we can't play defence against them, " Treesa would correctly explain.

Treesa-Gayatri have done well to finish in the Last 4 despite being ranked close to No.40. But they will need to wade into an uphill battle every single time if they fancy challenging the Chinese.

Coach Pullela Gopichand would explain the dilemma. One was the Indians losing rhythm on striking the shuttle in a drifty hall. As someone working on the same tricks these two Chinese have mastered, the other was the Chinese serve, where Gayatri will have to play her next move.

"You can't do much when they push the pace, " he would say. "But some Indians have started to learn that serve too."

While one game to the next had seen a shift in momentum, one Chinese pair to the next had been a bigger emotional rollercoaster. "Yesterday was a pretty intense match. So yeah, mentally it was pretty tough. I think today when we were on court, we were fresh in the first game as well. But sometimes mentally you do obtain a little tired, " Gayatri conceded.

For context, the bronze medal then is just the start of a journey for a pairing who would routinely obtain criticised for everything – from being picked for the Asian Games to receiving the Arjuna Award. "I'll eat ice-cream now since I haven't eaten it for three months now, " Treesa would say.

Perhaps the biggest lesson to learn from India's most successful World Championships medallist, PV Sindhu, would be to forget regarding the semis and enjoy the podium moment. They have a long way to go, but they've come quite a distance.

In short, journey ends in semis, but Treesa-Gayatri prove they can go miles in is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.