Denmark Open: Treesa-Gayatri, Tanvi Sharma reach quarters

Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, along with Tanvi Sharma, advanced to the quarterfinals of the Denmark Open Super 750 on Thursday, delivering two Indian victories in the women’s draws. The women’s doubles pair beat fifth-seeded Indonesians Rachel Allessya and Rose Febi Setianingrum in straight games, while Tanvi overcame Germany’s Yvonne Li to reach the last eight.

The results keep Indian interest alive in the women’s singles and doubles competitions heading into Friday’s quarterfinals. However, the men’s singles campaign ended when Kidambi Srikanth was beaten in three games by reigning world champion Alex Lanier, while Ashmita Chaliha also lost in the women’s singles pre-quarterfinals.

Treesa and Gayatri secure straight-game doubles win

The reigning world medalists Treesa and Gayatri defeated Allessya and Setianingrum 21-16, 21-17 in 45 minutes. The Indian pair’s win came against the fifth seeds and sent them through to a quarterfinal meeting with second-seeded Malaysians Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan.

Treesa and Gayatri will return on Friday for that last-eight contest, with the Denmark Open providing another significant test against a seeded opposition. Their victory over the Indonesian duo was one of the two straight-game Indian wins in the women’s events on the day.

Tanvi also moved through without dropping a game, defeating Li 21-17, 21-19. The result set up a quarterfinal clash with world No. 1 An Se Young of South Korea. Tanvi’s progression gives India a second representative in Friday’s women’s quarterfinal action.

Chaliha was unable to join Tanvi in the last eight. She lost 18-21, 10-21 to Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi in the other women’s singles pre-quarterfinal matchup.

Srikanth falls after taking opening game

Srikanth produced a strong opening game against Lanier but could not sustain the advantage, losing 11-21, 21-15, 21-15 in one hour and six minutes. The 33-year-old Indian took the first game with a display built around his net play, using spinning tumbles and angled returns to repeatedly challenge the Frenchman.

Srikanth led 11-5 at the interval in the opening game and went on to claim it comfortably. Lanier, 21, found a response after his coach Kestutis Navickas advised him during the mid-game interval to move away from the forecourt and construct attacks from the back.

The reigning world champion then used his speed to shift the momentum in the second game. Srikanth made another positive start in the decider, opening a 5-2 lead and holding an 11-9 advantage at the interval. Lanier responded again, increasing the pace and using his speed and defence to take control and complete the comeback.

With Srikanth’s defeat, India’s men’s singles challenge at the tournament came to an end. The focus now turns to Friday, when Treesa and Gayatri face Pearly and Thinaah in women’s doubles and Tanvi takes on An Se Young in women’s singles, with both Indian entries seeking places in the semifinals.

Indian focus shifts to Friday’s quarterfinals

The quarterfinal lineup presents demanding seeded opponents for both surviving Indian entries. Treesa and Gayatri will meet the second seeds in the doubles draw, while Tanvi faces the world’s top-ranked player. Their victories on Thursday ensured India retained representation in two women’s disciplines after a day that also brought the exits of Srikanth and Chaliha.