Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand reach World Championships quarterfinals

Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand have moved into the quarterfinals of the World Championships as they continue their comeback run.

The unseeded Indian pair produced a strong performance on Thursday to beat Japanese seventh seeds Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi 21-16, 21-12. The victory came after Treesa returned from injury and the pair began their campaign without a seeding.

Their next challenge is even tougher, with fourth seeds Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shuxian of China waiting in the quarterfinals. The match is scheduled for around 1.50 pm on Court 1 on Friday. Treesa and Gayatri are now just one win away from reaching the semi-finals, which would put them within one step of a medal.

With PV Sindhu and Ayush Shetty eliminated in the singles events, the pressure on India's doubles combinations has increased. Treesa and Gayatri will now look to continue the run that has taken them into the last eight.

India's medal hopes at the BWF World Championships now rest on the doubles events as the competition enters Day 5 in New Delhi. The singles challenge ended on Thursday with PV Sindhu and Ayush Shetty both bowing out in the round of 16. That leaves Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty as India's remaining hopes for a medal at the tournament.

Treesa and Gayatri will face fourth seeds Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shuxian of China in the women's doubles quarterfinals, while fifth seeds Satwik and Chirag take on third seeds Lian Wei Keng and Wang Cheng of China in the men's doubles quarterfinals. Both matches will be played on Court 1. Treesa-Gayatri are scheduled for around 1.50 pm, while Satwik-Chirag will take the court at around 6 pm. A win for either pair will take them into the semi-finals and within one victory of a medal.