Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand are set to make their debut at the prestigious World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, beginning Wednesday. The 21-year-olds are the only Indian duo to qualify for this season-ending event.
In 2024, the pair has already defeated five Top 10 opponents, but their biggest challenge lies ahead, facing three back-to-back matches against the world’s Top 10.
Group Stage Challenges
Treesa and Gayatri are placed in Group A alongside the world’s No. 1 pair, Liu-Tan, No. 4 Matsuyama-Shida, and No. 6 Tan-Thinaah. Despite Liu-Tan’s impressive six titles, the entire Group A has accumulated only eight titles this season, compared to Group B’s 12. The Indians, ranked No. 13, have one Super 300 title, but their competition is fierce, with top pairs boasting multiple Super 1000 and Super 750 titles.
Endurance Will Be Key
A notable stat from Statminton is the “Longest Wins” category. Treesa and Gayatri have the shortest among the top 8 pairs, with a longest win of just 79 minutes. In comparison, Malaysian pair Tan-Thinaah have battled through matches lasting up to 102 minutes. While the Indians have shown strength in strategy to win long matches, endurance remains a challenge.
Third Set Deciders
Treesa and Gayatri rank in the bottom three in terms of wins in deciders, securing victories in just 54.55% of their rubber matches. In contrast, other top pairs like Chinese Olympic champions Chen-Jia win deciders 85.71% of the time. Despite this, the Indians can draw hope from their group, where Tan-Thinaah have a lower win rate in third sets (52.94%).
Looking Ahead
Women’s doubles at the World Tour Finals is known for being particularly tough, but Treesa and Gayatri will be aiming to make a mark and cause some upsets. The pair’s growth this year gives them a solid foundation as they face their biggest challenge yet.
Leave a Reply