India’s top women’s doubles pair, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Pullela, began their Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2026 campaign with a composed and convincing victory, underlining their growing assurance on the BWF World Tour as the Super 750 tournament got underway at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Tuesday.
The Syed Modi International champions dismantled Thailand’s Ornnicha Jongsathapornparn and Sukitta Suwachai 21-15, 21-11 in 42 minutes, delivering a performance marked by control, clarity of roles, and relentless pressure at the net. Ranked world No. 21, the Indian pair were rarely stretched, dictating rallies from the outset and never allowing the Thai combination to gain any sustained momentum.
From the opening exchanges, Treesa and Gayatri established dominance through sharp front-court interceptions and precise placement into the mid-court, forcing their opponents into defensive lifts. Gayatri’s movement at the net consistently cut off angles, while Treesa anchored the rallies from the back, using her reach and timing to finish points decisively. The Indians moved into the mid-game interval of the opening game with a comfortable cushion and closed it out without drama.
The second game followed a similar pattern, with the Thai pair struggling to cope with the pace and variation introduced by the Indian combination. Treesa and Gayatri tightened their serve returns and punished loose shots, quickly pulling away on the scoreboard. With minimal unforced errors and constant communication between points, they wrapped up the contest efficiently, signalling a strong intent at their home Super 750 event.
The win sets up a challenging second-round clash against seventh seeds Li Yi Jing and Luo Xu Min of China, who brushed aside Francesca Corbett and Jennie Gai of the USA 21-12, 21-8. For Treesa and Gayatri, the result offers not just progression but valuable confidence against higher-ranked opposition, especially as they look to consolidate their status among the world’s elite pairs.
While much of the opening-day attention was on the all-Indian men’s singles clash between Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty, it was Treesa and Gayatri who provided one of the most assured performances by the hosts. Their victory also came on a day of notable upsets, with men’s singles fourth seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei knocked out by Canada’s Brian Yang, while French sixth seed Alex Lanier fell to Chi Yu Jen. Japan’s Kodai Naraoka retired mid-match against compatriot Kenta Nishimoto.
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Lakshya Sen, a former India Open champion, also advanced to the second round with a straight-game win over Shetty, but the women’s doubles result stood out for its authority and composure. Unlike some of the longer, scrappier contests on the day, Treesa and Gayatri never allowed the match to drift into uncertainty.
Elsewhere in the women’s doubles draw, National Championships finalists Shruti Mishra and Priya Konjengbam bowed out in a heartbreaking first-round encounter against Hong Kong China’s Lui Lok Lok and Tsang Hiu Yan. The Indian pair saved five match points and even earned one of their own before eventually losing 21-11, 20-22, 24-22 in a marathon contest lasting over an hour.
In men’s doubles, Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun produced a solid performance to defeat Malaysia’s Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi 21-15, 21-18, setting up a second-round meeting with fourth seeds Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang of China.
With former world champion PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy yet to take the court, and third seeds Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy receiving a walkover into the second round, the opening day offered a strong platform for the hosts. For Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, however, it was a reminder that their steady upward trajectory continues built on discipline, partnership clarity and an ability to seize control early in matches.
Their next outing against the Chinese seventh seeds will provide a clearer measure of how far that progress can carry them at one of India’s biggest badminton stages.
