Singapore Open 2024 Semifinals Live Score: Treesa-Gayatri go down in straight games, dream run over | Badminton News
PV Sindhu in action; Treesa Jolly (L) and Gayatri Gopichand in action as they pulled off an upset win over world No 2 pair. (BWF / Badminton Photo and PTI/AP for Sindhu photo)
Singapore Open: PV Sindhu pushes Carolina Marin but loses 6 in a row; Treesa-Gayatri stun world No 2
Just when it looked like India’s contention at the Singapore Open was going to end on Thursday, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand pulled off a big upset out of the blue. The tournament has witnessed seeded players fall the wayside in big numbers, but finally, India were on the right side of one as the youngsters defeated world No 2 Baek Ha Na and Lee So Hee 21-9, 14-21, 21-15.
It’s been a tough few months for Gayatri-Treesa who – a year or so back – were clear favourites to reach Paris Olympics as India’s women’s doubles representation. The rise of Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa, coupled with their own inconsencies, meant they missed out. Their recent form has been concerning, a 2-21, 11-21 defeat (albeit against one of the best Chinese pairs) at the Asian Championships arguably marking the lowest point.
Against Baek-Lee, the Indians got off to a sensational start to dominate the opening game with a great mix of attacking intent and defensive solidity. Treesa’s slow drops and Gayatri’s flicks at the net were working like a dream. The Koreans, as one’d expect, turned it around relying on their rock-solid defence. But in the decider, Gayatri-Treesa found their rhythm again to actually comfortably close it out without too many hiccups.
