PTC Web Desk:  Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand produced a stunning comeback at the BWF World Championships, defeating China’s fourth-seeded Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian to secure India’s first women’s doubles medal at the tournament since 2011.

The Indian pair recovered from losing the opening game to win the quarter-final 16-21, 21-15, 21-13, booking their place in the semi-finals and ending a 14-year wait for a women’s doubles medal.

Treesa-Gayatri overcome fourth seeds

The victory was particularly impressive given India’s previous record against the Chinese duo. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand had lost all three of their earlier meetings with Jia and Zhang.

The Indian pair, however, produced their best badminton when the pressure was at its highest and turned the contest around after a difficult start.

China takes early advantage

The opening game belonged largely to the Chinese pair. Treesa and Gayatri fell 0-4 behind early and struggled to deal with the pace and power of their opponents. A long 57-shot rally further underlined the intensity of the contest.

India gradually settled into the match, with Gopichand finding success through her attacking shots while Treesa Jolly became more effective around the net.

The Indians went on a six-point run to reduce the deficit to 8-9, but Jia and Zhang maintained their advantage and eventually took the first game 21-16.

India fights back in second game

The second game saw a determined Indian response. Jolly and Gopichand stayed close to their opponents in the early exchanges before moving ahead for the first time near the interval.

The rallies became longer and more demanding, with neither side willing to give away easy points. India showed greater aggression and kept putting pressure on the Chinese defence.

A crucial 43-shot rally at 15-14 went India's way and helped the pair strengthen their grip on the game.

Jolly and Gopichand closed out the second game 21-15, forcing a deciding game.

The third game was closely contested in the opening stages, but the Indian pair looked increasingly confident.

The home crowd played its part, turning every Indian point into a huge celebration. Jolly and Gopichand remained composed despite the pressure and continued to attack whenever opportunities appeared.

China tried to fight back, but the Indians had taken control of the contest. They eventually won the decider 21-13 to complete a memorable comeback.

First women’s doubles medal since 2011

The victory guaranteed India a medal in women’s doubles at the World Championships for the first time since Ashwini Ponnappa and Jwala Gutta won bronze in 2011.

For 14 years, no Indian women's doubles combination had managed to reach the podium at the sport's biggest individual championship.

Jolly and Gopichand have now ended that drought and moved into the semi-finals, keeping their hopes of going all the way alive.

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- With inputs from agencies

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