Asian Games 2026: Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand take bow; Dhruv Kapila-Tanisha Crasto is also suffering from heartbreak

India’s Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Pullela (REUTERS) India’s impressive badminton run at the Asian Games suffered a double setback on Sunday as Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand and Dhruv Kapila-Tanisha Crasto crashed out in the quarter-finals after spirited battles with higher-ranked opponents.Treesa and Gayatri, who arrived at the Games last month after winning a historic bronze medal at the World Championships in New Delhi, went 18-21, 9-21 with Malaysia’s World No. 5 pair of Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan.The Indians were competitive in the opening game and matched their Malaysian opponents for long periods, but a series of errors in the second game allowed the world No. 5 pair to take control and seal a straight-sets win.

Treesa-Gayatri fight hard before the Malay couple pulls away

The Indians entered the tournament in impressive form, having already won twice over Japan’s world No.3 combination of Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto. However, they faced a tough challenge against Pearly and Thinaah, having lost six of their previous eight matches against the Malaysian duo.The Malaysians got off to an early start and took an 8-3 lead, but Treesa and Gayatri responded strongly to level the scores at 10-10. The match then turned into an intense offensive battle with both pairs trading points to remain locked at 14-14.Pearly and Thinaah then capitalized on errors from the Indians to move ahead 17-14. Gayatri pulled off a clever trick at the net and the Malaysians sent a shot wide, giving the Indians hope of another comeback.But Pearly and Thinaah kept their cool and moved to 19-16 before Treesa found the net to give them four game points. The Indians saved two, but a powerful smash by the Malaysian pair ended the opener 21-18. Treesa and Gayatri started the second match brightly, leading 3-0 after switching sides. However, the Malaysians quickly turned the momentum around by forcing errors from the Indian pair to race into a 7-3 lead.The gap continued to widen as the Indians struggled to find their rhythm, with Pearly and Thinaah racing to an 11-4 advantage. The Malaysian pair continued to press and moved 13-6 ahead. With Treesa and Gayatri unable to stem the flow of points, Pearly and Thinaah soon scored 12 match points. Pearly then hit the net but Gayatri sent another shot wide to give the Malaysians a 21-9 win and a place in the semi-finals.

Kapila-Crasto pushes the world number one to the limit of her abilities

Earlier, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto put up a spirited performance against the world No. 1 Chinese pair of Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dongping but eventually lost 14-21, 21-18, 18-21. India’s mixed doubles team struggled in the opening game as the Chinese combination gained control to take a 21-14 lead.Kapila and Crasto responded brilliantly in the second game, upping the intensity and forcing the match to a decider after securing a 21-18 win. The Indians continued to fight hard in the deciding game, but Feng and Huang held their nerve in the crucial moments to close out the match 21-18.

Sindhu, Unnati eye semi-final spots

India’s singles campaign remains alive with two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu and youngster Unnati Hooda set to square off in the women’s singles quarter-finals later on Sunday. Sindhu will take on China’s Chen Yu Fei while Unnati will take on Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi as the Indian duo look to keep the country’s medal hopes alive.