The rising Indian women's doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand continued their impressive run at the Singapore Open, defeating higher ranked opponents to reach the semifinals. However, their dream run came to an end against the experienced Japanese fourth seeds Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida in the semifinals.
While the scoreline of 23-21, 21-11 suggested a comfortable victory for Matsuyama and Shida, the Indians put up a spirited fight in the opening set. After falling behind early 2-8, Jolly and Gopichand showed character to drag the set to deuce at 20-20. Their tactical play and strategy of varying pace and shot placement caused trouble for the Japanese.
Although the second set saw the Indians falter under pressure, quickly succumbing 6-20, there were plenty of positives to take from their week. Their strategic rotation and defensive skills were on display against higher ranked opponents earlier. With more experience at the elite level, Jolly and Gopichand seem poised for greater success.
While fitness remains an area for improvement, particularly for Gopichand, writing the pair off after one defeat would be hasty. At a young age, learning to handle losses is as important as victories. With continued support, these shuttlers represent the promise of Indian badminton's future on the global stage.
