BWF World Championships 2026: Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Upset Chinese Fourth Seeds to Ensure Medal for India
Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand defeated China’s fourth seeds Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian to reach the BWF World Championships 2026 semifinals and assure India of a medal.
India’s Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand produced one of the biggest wins of their careers to assure India of a medal at the BWF World Championships 2026, defeating China’s fourth-seeded pair Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian in a thrilling women’s doubles quarterfinal at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi on Friday.
The Indian pair recovered from the loss of the opening game to register a 16-21, 21-15, 21-13 victory and storm into the semifinals of badminton’s biggest individual event.
The result also ensured that India’s remarkable streak of winning at least one medal at every edition of the BWF World Championships since 2011 remains intact.
For Treesa and Gayatri, the victory carries even greater historical significance. They have become only the second Indian women’s doubles pair to win a medal at the World Championships, 15 years after Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa won bronze in London in 2011.
That medal in London had marked the beginning of India’s ongoing World Championships medal streak. On Friday, Treesa and Gayatri ensured that the run continued.
The Indian combination entered the quarterfinal with a difficult record against the Chinese pair. Jia and Zhang had defeated Treesa and Gayatri in all three of their previous meetings. The challenge became evident from the opening exchanges.
Treesa and Gayatri struggled to settle early and quickly fell behind 0-6. The Chinese pair extended their lead to 8-2, using their experience and control to dictate the early tempo. But the Indians did not allow the deficit to grow further.
Treesa and Gayatri gradually found their rhythm and responded with six consecutive points to close the gap to 8-9. Their aggressive approach began creating openings, particularly through sharp work around the net and attacking returns.
However, Jia and Zhang maintained their composure and continued to edge ahead. The fourth seeds eventually closed out the opening game 21-16. The scoreline left Treesa and Gayatri with a familiar challenge: recover against a higher-ranked opponent who had beaten them three times previously.
They responded in emphatic fashion.
Eight straight points change the momentum
The second game initially followed a similar pattern. The Chinese pair moved into a 10-7 lead, again putting Treesa and Gayatri under pressure. But the Indian duo refused to allow the match to drift away. Both players began taking greater control at the net, creating opportunities before finishing rallies with powerful cross-court smashes.
Their intensity increased, and the momentum began to swing. Treesa and Gayatri shifted to a more aggressive approach and produced a decisive burst of points. After establishing control, they opened up a 9-4 lead and continued to dictate the exchanges.
The Chinese pair found it increasingly difficult to contain Treesa’s attacking power and Gayatri’s sharp interventions around the front court. The Indians closed out the second game 21-15 to level the match. With the home crowd fully behind them, the momentum had completely changed.
The final game was played with the knowledge that a place in the World Championships semifinals would guarantee at least a bronze medal. Treesa and Gayatri embraced the moment. Having gained confidence from their second-game comeback, the Indians continued with an attacking game plan. Their movement, anticipation and willingness to take the initiative put the Chinese fourth seeds under sustained pressure.
Treesa’s attacking play created opportunities, while Gayatri’s work around the net helped set up several crucial points. The pair continued to stay ahead and eventually closed out the deciding game 21-13. When Jia sent her final lift wide, the emotions immediately took over. Treesa and Gayatri could not hold back their tears as they celebrated a victory that had secured a historic medal for Indian badminton.
“The match was very difficult and hence the emotions. We are still processing the result and really happy that we converted the match,” the pair said after their victory.
But their focus is already on the next challenge. “We don't want to stop here, we have come here with a goal and looking forward. The crowd was amazing today and pushed us towards the win.”
The atmosphere inside the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium played a major role as the home favourites received sustained support throughout the contest. India’s Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Badminton Association of India President Himanta Biswa Sarma were also present in the stands to witness the landmark victory.
The achievement places Treesa and Gayatri in an elite group in Indian badminton history. Until Friday, Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa were the only Indian women’s doubles combination to have won a World Championships medal. Their bronze medal in 2011 had opened a new chapter for Indian badminton at the global event.
Now, 15 years later, Treesa and Gayatri have become the second pair to achieve the feat. Their medal also guarantees that India will continue its streak of winning at least one medal at every World Championships since the 2011 edition. The victory is particularly significant considering the route the Indian pair have taken in New Delhi.
They needed to overcome higher-ranked opposition, and against Jia and Zhang, they produced their most important performance of the tournament so far.
The semifinal will present an even bigger challenge.
Top seeds await in the semifinals
Treesa and Gayatri will now face top seeds Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning in the semifinals on Saturday. The Chinese combination represents another formidable challenge, but the Indian pair will enter the match with renewed confidence after defeating the fourth seeds. With a medal already assured, Treesa and Gayatri now have an opportunity to upgrade its colour. Meanwhile, India’s men’s doubles campaign came to an end later in the day as Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty lost 21-18, 21-9 to China’s third seeds Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang in their quarterfinal.
That result made Treesa and Gayatri’s medal all the more important for the host nation. India had needed at least one pairing to deliver at the business end of the tournament.
Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand did exactly that. From a difficult opening game to an emotional victory, the Indian duo showed resilience when the stakes were highest.
India’s World Championships medal streak survives.
And Treesa and Gayatri are not ready to stop yet.
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