‘A few mistakes cost us’: Treesa-Gayatri dissect World Championships semi-final defeat

New Delhi: “Definitely with ice cream!” Gayatri Gopichand broke into a wide, disarming grin when asked how she would celebrate. Standing alongside her, partner Treesa Jolly offered a slightly more formal plan.“We want to thank our support team by taking them out for a nice dinner to celebrate,” Treesa said.Celebrations are in order. Moments earlier, the unseeded Indian duo had capped a dream week by securing a maiden World Championships medal, a bronze.Reflecting on the contest, the duo offered a breakdown of where the match turned.“In the first game, we played with confidence, tracking them closely even when they led,” Treesa said. “However, in the second half of the second game, a few mistakes cost us our rhythm and confidence. We started second-guessing our strokes and played defensively, which doesn’t work against them in the end.”Gayatri was equally candid about the tactical shifts that allowed the Chinese to wrest back control.“In the second game, they played very patiently and we couldn’t match that,” Gayatri said. “Treesa played really well from the back court and if I had offered better net support, we could have pulled off the second set. In the third set, we had some chances to convert points in our favour but we lost our rhythm.”The physical and emotional toll of a relentless tournament had also crept in. Backing up after a gruelling, high-stakes quarterfinal victory on Friday had pushed their mental endurance significantly.“Yesterday was a pretty intense match, so mentally it was pretty tough to come back and play back-to-back games. There was a lot going on,” Gayatri reflected. “But today, when we were on court, we were fresh physically, especially in the first set. Sometimes, mentally, you do get a little tired.”