Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning are credited with changing the DNA of women’s doubles in badminton. Their aggressive smash, the fastest recorded at 398 kph on Saturday, has annihilated several opponents and seen them win every third tournament they play – including the last World Championships – since the start of 2025. They defeated Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand 21-2, 21-11 at the 2024 Asian Championship. But the last two times, the Indians have taken matters into the decider.

The World Championships bronze, after an 18-21, 21-13, 21-8 loss in the semis in 71 minutes, that helped continue India’s medal streak dating back to 2011, was tinged with heavy regret for Gayatri and Treesa as their challenge unraveled under a scathing onslaught from the generational Chinese talents, who play attacking badminton with more venom than anyone.

But even as their returns got buried in the net, and the upright racquet frame completely missed the shuttle leading to a collapse, the loyal Delhi crowd was made aware of both the Indian potential and Chinese peril that make a Worlds medal so difficult.

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Gayatri Gopichand is more than a surname. She is an Indian youngster under immense pressure to carve her own identity. She is also the free-flowing, attack-blazing Treesa Jolly’s teammate – expected to steady things on court – who the Chinese cannily kept away from the shuttle in the semifinals. She was starved of the opportunity to take control of rallies as the top-ranked pair kept peppering Treesa, not because she is a weak link (far from it), but because they wanted to tire Treesa out.

India’s Treesa Jolly, left and Gayatri Gopichand Pullela play against China’s Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning in a semi final match of the Badminton World Championships in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026.

The objective was achieved: doubts entered Gayatri’s head, and she got uncharacteristically subdued. On the other flank, Treesa, whose confidence is intricately linked to the success of her big smashes, suddenly felt under-confident when a few mistakes messed with their rhythm.

Playing perhaps the biggest match of their careers, the Indians were riding a phenomenal wave of confidence after taking the opening set 21-18. Treesa was sublime in her court gallops – at the net, from the back, all at once, her defence as phenomenal as her attack.

The Chinese, who were looking for revenge after the Indians denied the Jia-Zhang pairing a medal in the quarters, had spent the first game keeping Gayatri away from taking control. In the second, the Indians broke as she went into a spiral.

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“Treesa was playing really well from the back. If I could’ve supported her more, we may have won more points in the second,” a teary Gayatri would say later.

Miles to go

Her spirit might’ve been shattered on the day, but the ambition is stoked.

“The second game, they played very patiently and I think we couldn’t match it. It happens. But also in the third game, there were a few points which we could have converted, but the rhythm didn’t come,” she added.

That’s because Liu-Tan will demand the next gear.

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“After our mistakes, we became unconfident and full of doubt. But we can’t play defence against them,” Treesa would correctly explain.

Treesa-Gayatri have done well to finish in the Last 4 despite being ranked close to No.40. But they will need to wade into an uphill battle every single time if they fancy challenging the Chinese.

Coach Pullela Gopichand would explain the dilemma. One was the Indians losing rhythm on striking the shuttle in a drifty hall. The other was the Chinese serve, where Gayatri will have to play her next move, as someone working on the same tricks these two Chinese have mastered.

India’s Treesa Jolly, front and Gayatri Gopichand Pullela arrive at the court to play against China’s Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning in a semi final match of the Badminton World Championships in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026.

“The problem with the tumble serve is the moment you push the return of serve, the Chinese send the next return very fast,” Gopi said. The only option is to lift the serve immediately and counter-attack.

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“You can’t do much when they push the pace,” he would say. “But some Indians have started to learn that serve too.”

While one game to the next had seen a shift in momentum, one Chinese pair to the next had been a bigger emotional rollercoaster. “Yesterday was a pretty intense match. So yeah, mentally it was pretty tough. I think today when we were on court, we were fresh in the first game as well. But sometimes mentally you do get a little tired,” Gayatri conceded.

The bronze medal then is just the start of a journey for a pairing who would routinely get criticised for everything – from being picked for the Asian Games to receiving the Arjuna Award. “I’ll eat ice-cream now since I haven’t eaten it for three months now,” Treesa would say.

Perhaps the biggest lesson to learn from India’s most successful World Championships medallist, PV Sindhu, would be to forget about the semis and enjoy the podium moment. They have a long way to go, but they’ve come quite a distance.