BWF World Tour Finals: Treesa-Gayatri defeat Malaysian pair to keep semis hopes alive

Hangzhou(The Uttam Hindu): Indian women's doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand outclassed Mayalsia's Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan 21-19, 21-19 in their second Group A clash of the BWF World Tour Finals here on Thursday. The Indian duo defeated the Malaysians in just 46 minutes to keep their semifinal hopes alive in the year-ender tournament. Treesa and Gayatri are the only Indians to have qualified for the BWF World Tour Finals. Treesa and Gayatri launched their match with an aggressive strategy, racing to a 6-2 lead in the opening game. The Malaysians soon retaliated, levelling the game into a neck-and-neck contest. However, the Indian pair maintained their composure in the crucial moments, clinching the first game.

The second game mirrored the intensity of the first. After a balanced start through the first five points, the Malaysians took a slight lead. It remained a closely fought encounter until 19-all, but Treesa and Gayatri once again held their nerves, claiming two consecutive points to seal the match and secure victory. The Indian duo suffered a setback in their opening match on Wednesday and lost to World No.1 and Paris Olympics silver medallists Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning of China 20-22, 22-20, 21-14. The Indian pair is placed second in their group behind the Chinese pair. They must secure a victory against the Japanese duo of Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida on Friday to confirm their spot in the semifinals.