Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand reach Denmark Open quarterfinals in Odense
Indian women’s doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand advanced to the quarterfinals of the Denmark Open Super 750 badminton tournament on Thursday, October 15, after securing a straight-games victory over fifth-seeded Indonesians Rachel Allessya Rose and Febi Setianingrum, NDTV Sports reported. The duo closed out the match 21-16, 21-17 in 45 minutes at the venue in Odense.
Sportstar reported that the Indian pair utilized sharp tactical control during the round of 16 encounter. Treesa maintained pressure from the backcourt while Gayatri held firm at the net, allowing them to overcome a tight start in the opening game before cutting down on errors to secure the momentum.
Quarterfinal matchup against second seeds in Denmark
Following their win over the fifth-seeded Indonesian duo, Treesa and Gayatri advance to face the winner of the match between Hong Kong’s Yeung Nga Ting and Yeung Pui Lam and second-seeded Malaysians Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan, according to NDTV Sports and News9Live. The upcoming fixture continues an active stretch for the Indian team, who previously claimed their maiden World Championships bronze medal in New Delhi in August.
Kidambi Srikanth falls to reigning world champion Alex Lanier
In the men’s singles pre-quarterfinals, 33-year-old Kidambi Srikanth put up a strong challenge against reigning world champion Alex Lanier before exiting the tournament. Srikanth utilized his trademark net play and deceptive spinning shots to build an 11-5 lead and secure the opening game, but the 21-15, 21-15 fightback from the French player secured a 11-21, 21-15, 21-15 victory in one hour and six minutes, News9Live reported.
According to News9Live, the tactical shift came after the mid-game break in the second set when Lanier’s coach, Kestutis Navickas, instructed the youngster to move away from the forecourt and construct rallies from the back of the court. That adjustment allowed Lanier to leverage his speed and attacking depth to overturn Srikanth’s early leads.
Additional results from Indian contenders in Odense
Other Indian singles players faced tough tests on Thursday at the Super 750 event. Ashmita Chaliha exited the women’s singles draw after a 18-21, 10-21 defeat against Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi in the pre-quarterfinals, as detailed by NDTV Sports. Meanwhile, Tanvi Sharma prepared for her scheduled match against Germany’s Yvonne Li later in the day.
