For all the promise surrounding Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, the numbers make for uncomfortable reading ahead of their BWF World Championships semifinal against Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning.
The Chinese pair leads its head-to-head against Indian combinations 6-1, underlining just how difficult this matchup has been. But Treesa and Gayatri have already shown that Liu and Tan are beatable.
The only Indian win in the seven meetings came at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships in Dubai in 2023. With India trailing China 0-2 in the semifinal, the Indian pair produced a composed performance to beat Liu and Tan 21-18, 13-21, 21-19 and bring the tie level.
It was not a straightforward victory. Liu and Tan controlled much of the decider and led 19-18 before Treesa and Gayatri found the composure to win the final three points. Treesa’s attacking play and Gayatri’s sharp work at the net proved decisive in a contest that lasted 77 minutes.
Three years on, the stakes are vastly higher. Treesa and Gayatri have already secured India’s first women’s doubles World Championships medal since Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa in 2011 after their quarterfinal win over China’s Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian.
The 6-1 record makes Liu and Tan clear favourites. But the one defeat on that record belongs to the very pair standing across the net again.
Published on Aug 22, 2026
