Singapore, June 1 (Representative) India’s representation in the Singapore Badminton Open 2024 concluded as Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand faced defeat in the semifinals of the women’s doubles event at the Singapore Indoor Stadium here on Saturday. The Indian duo, ranked 30th in the world badminton rankings, encountered a formidable challenge from Japan’s Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida, world No. 4, succumbing to a 21-23, 11-21 loss.In a closely contested first game, Treesa-Gayatri exhibited resilience, initially trailing 2-8 but rallying back to a 16-16 tie. However, Matsuyama-Shida managed to clinch the game 23-21. The second game saw Matsuyama and Shida dominate with a commanding 13-2 lead, making it difficult for the Indian pair to recover despite an improved performance post-break. Ultimately, Treesa-Gayatri lost the semifinal in 47 minutes.
Notably, this marked Treesa and Gayatri’s first appearance in a BWF Super 750 tournament semifinal. Their journey in the Singapore Open witnessed notable victories, including triumphs over reigning All England champions Baek Ha Na and Lee So Hee of South Korea in the second round, and Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong, Tokyo 2020 bronze medallists, in the quarterfinals. India’s prominent singles players PV Sindhu and HS Prannoy exited the tournament in the second round, while the world No. 1 men’s doubles pair Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy bowed out in the first round. The focus now shifts to the Indonesia Open BWF Super 1000 tournament, commencing on Tuesday, presenting the next challenge for Indian shuttlers.