India’s women’s doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand saw their dream run at the BWF World Championships 2026 come to an end on Saturday as top seeds Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning of China beat them 18-21, 21-13, 21-8 in the semifinals at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.
The defeat means Treesa and Gayatri will have to settle for the bronze medal, which will be India’s only medal at the 2026 World Championships. It is also only the second World Championships bronze for India in women’s doubles after Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa won the same-colour medal in 2011.
Treesa-Gayatri fight back to take the opening game
The Indians made a strong start against the top seeds, racing into a 3-0 lead before Liu and Tan responded with a couple of points. Treesa and Gayatri, however, kept the pressure on and extended their advantage to 7-2.
The Chinese pair then showed why they are the top seeds, putting together nine consecutive points to turn the game around and take an 11-7 lead into the mid-game interval.
Treesa and Gayatri refused to let the game slip away. They began putting their power game to use and produced six points in a row to move 13-12 ahead.
Liu and Tan responded with four consecutive points to go 16-13 up, but the Indians again found a way back, picking up three straight points to level the game at 16-16.
The Chinese pair moved 18-16 ahead and appeared to have regained control, but Treesa and Gayatri produced their best stretch of the game at the crucial stage, winning five points in a row to close out the opening game 21-18.
Treesa said the confidence gained during the first half of the game helped the Indians respond whenever the top seeds threatened to pull away.
“Playing against these Chinese players, I feel like we were a bit more confident in the first game. Even when we were leading in the first half, they came back to 11-7. They took a break and again we caught up with them. At that time, we were much more confident,” Treesa said.
The Indians’ ability to recover from 11-7 down and then from 18-16 down gave them the momentum heading into the second game, but the Chinese pair soon changed the course of the contest.
Liu-Tan turn the match around
The second game began in completely different fashion, with Liu and Tan taking an early 4-1 lead. Treesa and Gayatri gradually fought their way back into the contest, putting the Chinese pair under pressure and eventually levelling the score at 10-10 before taking an 11-10 lead at the interval.
But the top seeds responded immediately after the break.
Liu and Tan reeled off eight consecutive points to move from 12-12 to 20-12, leaving the Indians with little room to fight back. They eventually closed out the second game 21-13 to force a deciding game.
Treesa said the Indians lost their rhythm after the second game and began playing more defensively, which allowed the Chinese pair to take control.
“But in the second game, we didn’t get the rhythm. After the second game, a few mistakes made us a little unconfident. I felt a little doubtful about every shot we were playing. Then we went more defensive, and we cannot play against them defensively,” she said.
Gayatri felt the Chinese pair’s patience in the second game also made a major difference.
“In the second set, they played very patiently. I think we couldn’t match that. It happens,” Gayatri said.
She felt the Indians had still been able to control parts of the game from the backcourt but needed greater support at the net to convert their chances.
“I think we played very well in the third set. The backcourt was controlling pretty well. If I had supported a little more from the net, I think we could have pulled off the second set. But also in the third set, there were a few points that we could have converted. There was no rhythm,” she said.
Top seeds run away with deciding game
The deciding game started evenly, with the two pairs locked at 2-2. Liu and Tan then produced four consecutive points to move 6-2 ahead before Treesa and Gayatri picked up their third point.
The Indians tried to fight back with consecutive points, but the Chinese pair continued to apply pressure and reached the mid-game interval 11-5 ahead.
Liu and Tan then put the match further out of reach by taking four points in a row after the break to move 15-5 ahead.
With the Chinese pair controlling the rallies, the Indians struggled to find their attacking rhythm and began making errors. Liu and Tan maintained their advantage to close out the deciding game 21-8 and book their place in the final.
Treesa said the errors and loss of confidence after the second game made it increasingly difficult for the Indians to play their natural game against the top seeds.
“I think luck is also a big factor in the game. In crucial situations, with confidence and luck, everything comes together,” she said.
A breakthrough campaign
Despite the semifinal defeat, Treesa and Gayatri’s campaign marked a breakthrough at the World Championships. They had already stunned the 16th seeds in the round of 32 and then defeated the seventh-seeded Japanese pair Kie Nakanishi and Rin Iwanaga in the quarterfinals to reach the last four.
Treesa looked back at the campaign as a major step forward for the pair.
“If you see the whole week, it has been amazing. We have made so many upsets, and I think it’s been such a great week for us. We played so many great matches, and there are so many things to take away from this tournament,” she said.
Gayatri also acknowledged the mental demands of the tournament, particularly after their intense quarterfinal victory the previous day.
“Yesterday was a pretty intense match, so mentally it was pretty tough. There was a lot going on. But today, when we were on court, I think we were fresh, especially in the first set. Sometimes, mentally, we do get a little tired,” Gayatri said.
The bronze medal gives Treesa and Gayatri their first World Championships medal and India its second women’s doubles medal in the history of the tournament.
For Treesa, however, the podium finish is only the beginning.
“Obviously, being part of that club, I feel so happy. There is a lot of journey we have ahead of us. I feel like this is just a start. We just need to take this as a positive and in a confident way. I feel like it’s all about the moments,” she said.
The defeat also brought India’s challenge at the BWF World Championships 2026 to an end ahead of Sunday’s final day, with Treesa and Gayatri’s bronze the country’s lone medal from the home edition.
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