New Delhi, 20 August (H.S.): India’s women’s doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand produced an impressive performance on Thursday to secure a place in the quarter-finals of the BWF World Championships 2026.

The world No. 39 Indian duo pulled off a major upset at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, defeating seventh-seeded Japanese pair Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi 21-16, 21-12 in straight games in their Round of 16 encounter.

Treesa and Gayatri adopted an aggressive approach from the opening rally and maintained their rhythm throughout the first game. Although the Japanese pair attempted to apply pressure with their strong defensive play, the Indians kept up the intensity and claimed the opening game 21-16.

The Indian duo carried their momentum into the second game, establishing an early lead and denying their Japanese opponents any opportunity to fight their way back. Treesa and Gayatri continued their attacking approach to close out the second game 21-12, completing a straight-game victory and booking their place in the last eight.

Treesa and Gayatri had also impressed in the Round of 32 earlier in the tournament.

The Indian pair defeated 16th-seeded Americans Lauren Lam and Allison Lee 21-15, 21-12 on Tuesday to advance to the Round of 16.

Against the American duo, the Indians maintained control in both games and consistently prevented their opponents from building pressure. After taking the opening game 21-15, Treesa and Gayatri intensified their attacking play in the second game to register a 21-12 victory and secure their progression.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar