‘The crowd was carrying us’: Treesa-Gayatri embrace home support as World C’ships medal beckons

New Delhi, Aug 20 (IANS) Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand are refusing to let the prospect of a World Championships medal alter their approach after the Indian women’s doubles pair reached the quarter-finals on Thursday, with the duo crediting the home crowd for helping them overcome seventh seeds Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi of Japan at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.

The 21-16, 21-12 victory moved the 39th-ranked Indians to within one win of a guaranteed medal. But for Gayatri, the pressure of playing a seeded opponent in front of a packed home crowd is one she would rather embrace than avoid.

“I think getting on court, definitely there’s a little pressure, but it’s the kind of pressure you enjoy because you’re playing in Delhi. So I think yeah, even in the first set we were down 13-16, but then we got some tips from our coaches, and I think after that we’ve implemented it pretty well, so yeah, I think I’m super happy. Even in the second game there were a few, it was pretty tricky, neck-to-neck, but then yeah, I’m glad we could stay calm and pull the game off,” Gayatri told reporters after the win.

The support from the stands became particularly important when the Indians found themselves under pressure. Gayatri felt the crowd’s energy helped them stay in the contest and eventually take control.

“At one point we were under pressure; the crowd was carrying us, so I just want to thank them, and I just want them to keep believing in us, and I hope to give them more reasons to celebrate,” Gayatri added.

Treesa echoed her partner’s sentiment, saying the atmosphere inside the stadium gave the pair an additional lift even when the scoreboard was against them.

“The crowd is so amazing; I think even when we are in the first game, when we are down also, the crowd really carried us, and I think when it’s happening at home, we just need to show our powerful matches and everything that they can see,” Treesa said.

The Indians’ next challenge is expected to be another stern examination. They know the quarter-final stage leaves little room for lapses, but Treesa wants the pair to concentrate on the contest rather than its significance.

“I think it’s not going to be easy. I think they are playing at the top level and every point matters to us, I think we just need to believe in ourselves be calm and just be present in that moment,” Treesa added.

Gayatri, meanwhile, has no intention of looking beyond recovery before turning their attention to tactics.

“Not yet, but I think we should just go back, eat, stretch, get a good night’s sleep, and then we’ll work on our tactics and see what happens tomorrow,” she said.

The Indians have also found a formula that is producing results: constant rotation combined with sustained attacking pressure.

“It’s working really great, that rotation and that attacking; we just need to keep on doing that,” she added.

Their partnership was particularly effective when Treesa was given the opportunity to unleash her powerful smash. The pair said the shots leading into those finishing blows have been just as important.

“I think yeah, that’s very important that in that crucial situation where Gayatri just charged and just gave me chances, and that made us get that continuous 3-4 points consistently,” Treesa stated.

Gayatri added, “I just want to set up for her because she has a huge smash, so I know if she’s going to kill, it’s going to be it.”

The possibility of a medal is now impossible to ignore, but Gayatri insists they will not allow it to dominate their thinking.

“Obviously it will be in our mind, but we just need to be present at this moment, like we need to enjoy this victory and just take good recovery and just prepare for the next match,” Gayatri mentioned.

For a pair returning from a three-month injury layoff and rebuilding their rhythm only recently, the run has already provided a significant lift.

“It’s definitely a huge boost of confidence because they’ve also fought really well; it wasn’t easy to beat any of the pairs we’ve played and we’re just looking forward to the next match,” she said.

And with New Delhi providing the stage, Treesa is determined that the pair enjoy every part of the experience.

“I think yeah, it’s so great that playing here in the home soil and the crowd support and everyone is seeing us, how we are playing and we just want to really focus and we just need to enjoy this moment,” Treesa said.

–IANS

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