New Delhi, 20 August (H.S.): Indian women’s doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand expressed their gratitude to the home crowd after advancing to the quarter-finals of the BWF World Championships 2026.

The Indian pair defeated seventh-seeded Japanese duo Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi 21-16, 21-12 in their Round of 16 clash at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Thursday.

The world No. 39 Treesa-Gayatri pair will now face fourth-seeded Chinese duo Jia Yifan and Zhang Shuxian in the quarter-finals.

After the victory, Gayatri Gopichand said there was some pressure while playing in front of the home crowd in Delhi, but it was the kind of pressure she enjoyed. She said the support from the spectators helped them stay composed during difficult moments.

“Definitely, there was a little pressure when we stepped onto the court, but it is the kind of pressure you enjoy because you are playing in Delhi. We were trailing 13-16 in the first game, but then we received some advice from our coaches and implemented it well. I am very happy with that. There were some difficult moments in the second game as well, and the contest was almost level, but we remained calm and managed to win the match,” Gayatri said.

Thanking the home supporters, she added, “There was a point when we were under pressure, and the crowd was pushing us forward. I want to thank them and hope they continue to believe in us. Hopefully, we can give them more occasions to celebrate.”

Treesa Jolly also praised the tremendous support from the home crowd, saying the spectators continued to encourage the Indian pair even when they were trailing.

“The crowd has been fantastic. Even when we were behind in the first game, they continued to support us immensely. When you are playing on home soil, you want the spectators to see you put in a strong performance, and we want to give them our best,” Treesa said.

Speaking about the challenge of facing the strong Chinese pair in the quarter-finals, Treesa acknowledged that it would not be an easy contest.

“It is not going to be easy. They are top-level players, and every point will be important for us. We have to believe in ourselves, remain calm and focus on the moment,” she said.

With the pair now just one victory away from securing a medal at the World Championships, Treesa admitted that the thought was certainly on their minds, but said their immediate focus was on enjoying the victory, recovering well and preparing for the next match.

“Of course, it will be on our minds, but we have to stay in the present. We need to enjoy this victory, recover well and prepare for the next match,” she said.

Gayatri described the victory over the Japanese pair as a major confidence booster and said none of the opponents they had faced so far had been easy to beat.

“It is definitely a huge boost to our confidence because they also fought very well. None of the players we have faced so far have been easy to beat. So, this is certainly a big confidence boost for us, and now we are excited for the next match,” she said.

Treesa and Gayatri started the match aggressively and maintained the initiative from the outset. The Japanese pair attempted to put pressure on the Indians with a strong defensive game, but the Indian duo maintained their advantage and took the opening game 21-16.

The second game saw Treesa and Gayatri strengthen their lead quickly. Their sustained attacking play denied the Japanese pair any opportunity to stage a comeback, as the Indians closed out the game 21-12 and sealed their place in the last eight of the World Championships.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar