Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand Pair Advances to Quarter-Finals at German Open Badminton 2024
Dara Singh Chahal
01st Mar 2024: In a remarkable display of skill and teamwork, Commonwealth Games bronze medallists Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand secured their spot in the quarter-finals of the German Open 2024 badminton women’s doubles event, held in Mulheim on Thursday.
The Indian duo, ranked 23rd in the badminton standings, delivered a dominant performance against their opponents from Czechia, Sona Horinkova and Katerina Zuzakova, ranked 141st in the world. Treesa and Gayatri swiftly outplayed their rivals, clinching victory in straight games with a commanding scoreline of 21-10, 21-11 in just 28 minutes of play.
While facing a challenge before the mid-game intervals in both games, Treesa and Gayatri demonstrated resilience and strategic prowess, capitalizing on the breaks to secure a decisive lead. Their exceptional performance propelled them into the quarter-finals, where they await the outcome of the match between USA’s Francesca Corbett-Allison Lee and China’s Li Yi Jing-Luo Xu Min.
Treesa and Gayatri’s advancement marks the sole Indian representation in the ongoing German Open, a prestigious BWF Super 300 event that draws competitors from around the globe.
In earlier matches, Aakarshi Kashyap and Sathish Kumar Karunakaran, representing India in women’s and men’s singles respectively, faced tough competition and bowed out in the second round. Kashyap, ranked 43rd globally, fell short against Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt, ranked 22nd, in a hard-fought encounter ending 21-13, 21-14 in favor of Blichfeldt. Similarly, Karunakaran, ranked 50th, encountered a closely contested match against Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen, ranked 42nd, ultimately succumbing to a 21-18, 24-22 defeat.
The German Open 2024, serving as the sixth tournament on the 2024 badminton calendar, presents a crucial opportunity for players to earn qualifying ranking points for the Paris 2024 Olympics. As the qualification window for badminton remains open until April, athletes continue to strive for excellence, aiming to secure their positions on the global stage of competitive badminton.
