Swiss Open: Treesa-Gayatri Push Top Chinese Pair but Fall Short Again

In the Sankar Subramanian Shocks World No. 2 Anders Antonsen at Swiss Open badminton semifinals on Saturday, India’s Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand took on the world’s number one pair, Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning from China. The Indian duo fought hard and stretched the match to three sets, finishing with a score of 15-21, 21-15, 21-12. Although they lost, Treesa and Gayatri showed they can challenge the best. However, tiredness once again played a big role in their defeat.

This wasn’t the first time the Indians faced Liu and Tan. Back in 2023, Treesa and Gayatri beat the Chinese pair in a thrilling third set, winning 21-19 after trailing 18-19. Since then, though, they’ve lost six times to the strong Chinese duo. Liu and Tan bring a lot of power and energy to the court, and they stay calm under pressure. For Treesa and Gayatri, pushing the match to a decider feels good, but winning it remains the real challenge.

The Indians started well in the 91-minute match. In the first set, they confused the Chinese with clever shots and a smart game plan. The very first rally lasted 97 shots, showing how unpredictable Treesa and Gayatri can be. They mixed slow shots with sudden attacks, making it hard for Liu and Tan to guess where the shuttle would go. For example, their cross-court drops worked like tricky cricket shots, catching the Chinese off guard. As a result, the Indians won the first set 21-15.

But the Chinese pair bounced back. In the second set, Liu and Tan picked up their speed and hit harder. The Indians kept up until the score was 7-7, but then they started to lose steam. The Chinese pulled ahead to 9-12 and didn’t look back, leveling the match at 21-15. By the third set, Treesa and Gayatri looked tired. Their shots went wide or long, and they couldn’t stop the Chinese from racing to a 21-12 win.

So, what went wrong? The Indians have a good plan against Liu and Tan. They move the Chinese around and try to hit the shuttle to open spaces. When fresh, they can trouble their opponents with smart placement. However, as the match goes on, tiredness affects their decisions. Treesa struggled to hit accurate smashes in the third set, and Gayatri made a few mistakes earlier. Even when they got the Chinese out of position, their final shots missed the mark.

To beat this top pair, Treesa and Gayatri need more fitness. It’s not that their shots lose power, but exhaustion makes it harder to think clearly and hit the right spots. The Chinese, on the other hand, stay strong and fast, especially in the final moments. If the Indians want to win, they’ll need to finish the match in two sets. Letting the game slip to a third gives Liu and Tan the chance to take over.

For now, Treesa and Gayatri can take pride in their effort. They pushed the world’s best to the limit. With a little more sharpness and energy, they might just turn these close losses into big wins.

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