India's Gayatri Gopichand Pullela, right, and Treesa Jolly play against China's Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian during a quarter final match of the Badminton World Championships in New Delhi. (AP Photo)Jia Yifan had won Tokyo silver and Paris gold while Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand watched the Chinese strut on the big stage.“She was an Olympic gold medallist when we started on the circuit. But at this level, you can’t praise anyone too much before playing them!” Treesa Jolly says.The highest respect in international sport involves inflicting defeat on the idol. So, Treesa and Gayatri went about decimating the defence of World Nos 4 Jia and Zhang Shu Xian; after lulling them into thinking they could stroll in the park as the score read 0-6. The first game was gone 21-16 as the diagonal interceptions went into the net. But Treesa-Gayatri were just warming up to unleash a torrent.Zhang, the younger Chinese partner, was clearly targeted, but neither Treesa nor Gayatri spared the seasoned Jia either. Gayatri got down to work in the front court, those angled pings sowing doubt in Zhang’s head, while Treesa started bisecting the Chinese in a side-by-side receiving stance. Things were tight as the Indians led 15-14 in the second, even as coach Gopichand kept urging the Indians to push the Chinese back. Gayatri deep smashing then took the lead to 17-14. India’s Gayatri Gopichand Pullela, and Treesa Jolly react after beating China’s Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian in the quarterfinal match of the Badminton World Championships in New Delhi. (AP)Earlier, Treesa dove side and then front, and Gayatri got back a few low retrieves too, but the Indians lost the point at 16-14.Perhaps the best rally of the match came at 18-14 when the Indians soaked up the attacking pressure, went from defence to offence in a blink before Treesa finished the flurry with a scalding smash. The Indians their Thursday gameplan of sending quick returns on the body, to ensure the reflex responses sail wide when hit from out of position. The Chinese confusion was evident as both went for the same shuttle. Though the Indians logged a couple of errors, the Chinese were hemmed in by the shuttle stalking them around.Treesa would start finding gaps left by the wrongfooted Chinese as the Indians settled into a fast-flat game to sprint to a 11-5 lead. Gayatri would intercept high and fast rushing the Chinese as their defence came apart under the blitzing onslaught as the drift was harnessed by the Indians to bring down Jia, a women’s doubles giant.Story continues below this ad“I had messed up earlier with eagerness to score points. Today I stayed calm,” Treesa would say. It was Jia’s time to get hurried and rushed.Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball. Professional Profile Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express. Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She also writes extensively about tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics. Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"—breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium. Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025) Shivani Naik’s recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond: Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has recently written about a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style. PV Sindhu’s Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu’s tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps. The "Group of Death": In December 2025, she provided detailed tactical previews for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s campaign in the BWF World Tour Finals. Tactical Deep Dives: She frequently explores technical trends, such as the rise of "backhand deception" in modern badminton and the importance of court drift management in international arenas. Legacy and History: She often revisits the careers of legends like Saina Nehwal and Syed Modi, providing historical context to current Indian successes. Notable Recent Articles BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag have it all to do to get through proverbial Group of Death. (Dec 2025) The age of Hulks in Indian badminton is here. (Dec 2025) Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa. (Dec 2025) Ayush Shetty beats Kodai Naraoka: Will 20-year-old be the headline act in 2026? (Nov 2025) Modern Cinderella tale – featuring An Se-young and a shoe that fits snugly. (Nov 2025) Other Sports Interests Beyond the court, Shivani is a passionate follower of South African cricket, sometimes writing emotional columns about her irrational support for the Proteas, which started because of love for Graeme Smith's dour and doughty Test playing style despite being a left-hander, and sustained over curiosity over their heartbreaking habit of losing ICC knockouts. You can follow her detailed analysis and columns on her official Indian Express profile page. ... Read More