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India's women's doubles duo of Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly credited the home crowd for helping them handle the pressure as they defeated Japan's seventh-seeded pair of Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi 21-16, 21-12 in the Round of 16 at the BWF World Championships 2026 in New Delhi on Thursday.
The world No. 39 pair will now face fourth-seeded Chinese pair of Jia Yifan and Zhang Shuxian in the quarterfinals clash at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. After the win, Gayatri Gopichand said there was some pressure playing in Delhi, but it was the kind of pressure she enjoyed. She credited the home crowd for carrying them through moments of pressure, thanked the fans for their support and urged them to keep believing in the pair. "I think getting on court, definitely there's a little pressure, but it's the kind of pressure you enjoy because you're playing in Delhi. So yeah, even in the first set we were down 13-16, but then we got some tips from our coaches and I think yeah after that we've implemented it pretty well. So yeah, I think I'm super happy. Even in the second game there were a few... it was pretty tricky, neck-to-neck, but then yeah, I'm glad we could stay calm and pull the game off," Gopichand told reporters. "I think at one point we were under pressure, the crowd was carrying us. So I just want to thank them and I just want them to keep believing in us and I hope to give them more reasons to celebrate," she added. Treesa Jolly also praised the home crowd for supporting them even when they were trailing, saying playing on home soil motivates them to put on strong performances. She added that the next challenge will be difficult against top-level opponents in Jia Yifan and Zhang Shuxian.. "I think the crowd is so amazing. I think even when we are in the first game, when we are down also the crowd really carried us and I think when it's happening in the home soil, we just need to show our the powerful matches and everything that they can see," she said. "I think it's not going to be easy. I think they are like playing at the top level and every point matters to us. I think we just need to believe in ourselves and just calm and just be present in that moment," she added. Jolly acknowledged that being one win away from a potential medal is on their minds, but said the focus is on enjoying the victory, recovering well and preparing for the next match. "I think obviously it will be in our mind, but we just need to be present at this moment. Like we need to enjoy this victory and just take good recovery and just prepare for the next match," she said. Gopichand said the convincing win provides a major confidence boost, especially as their opponents had fought hard, and added that the pair are now looking forward to their next match. "Definitely a huge boost of confidence because they've also fought really well. It wasn't easy to beat any of the players we've played. So yeah, it's definitely a huge boost of confidence and we're just looking forward for the next match," she said. In the match, Treesa and Gayatri set the tempo early in the opening game, asserting authority with sharp play. Despite disciplined defence from the Japanese pair, the Indians maintained a steady cushion, closing out the first game 21-16. The second game saw the Indian duo widen the gap quickly. With momentum firmly on their side, they sealed the 21-12 win to book their place in the tournament's last eight. (ANI)
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