Treesa-Gayatri, Unnati beat higher-ranked opponents, reach Asian Games last 8

In the space of a week, the duo has twice brought down the Japanese World No 3 pairing, first in the Team event, India’s only win in a 1-3 tie loss. And on Saturday, in the Round-of-16 of the individual event, as they defeated the hugely experienced Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto, who have 7 World Championship medals between them, with a 24-22, 21-18 takedown, to reach quarterfinals.

This means they are in Asia’s best 8 at the moment, after being in the World’s best 4 at Delhi, a month ago. Treesa-Gayatri politely proved a point with wins — four top-ten scalps in a month. They won’t pretend former World runners up, Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan of Malaysia, will be easy to beat. But they will work hard on their plans, and execute them earnestly, and a shade impolitely – like Treesa’s wicked corner-net dribbles, that saw decorated Fukushima, literally pull her hair out in frustration.

These dribbles were practiced on days spent nursing the ankle – sometimes sitting on a bench because she could barely stand up. There were other tactics. Matsumoto and Fukushima might’ve learnt exactly what the Indians do to confuse them. Treesa reins in her titanic smash attack and turns it into a proper tease – sliced drops after a jump that plop like the first of raindrops on the front court. The Japanese, 31 and 33, were left pleading for the smash to arrive, for their defense could tackle it. Then there was Gayatri.

Her hand-speed is two clicks quicker so the reactions are lightning fast. She knows a smash is a drizzle, a tadkaa, a lime-squeeze or a garnish — not the main course. She kept alternating attacks on the body with the one on flanks, the tipples to the net with the clears to the back, keeping them constantly guessing. It’s creative, yet physically demanding. But opponents are struggling to know what Indians are up to. That said Indians themselves don’t overthink the rally. Coach Gopichand kept asking Treesa to not use the smash as a sledgehammer, but a syringe-prick. Hit one, then back off, float the next, then one more, and then sting with the smash again.

The top Japanese pair, with home support, and two seasoned coaches, just couldn’t clear the maze. But for those who politely wondered if this pairing were good enough for India, these wins might momentarily suffice.

Unnati beats World No 6

Unnati Hooda, who has dared to enter the Top 30 realm to line up behind PV Sindhu, has faced edgeways-questions too. Does she deserve to play India’s second singles? Why doesn’t she join up with a known academy? And the most laughable of all: Why is her footwork so poor?

After she defeated World No 6 Putri Kusuma Wardani, 21-19, 21-13, court-side coach Guru Saidutt sitting for her match, guffawed. “Both her opponents were technically solid, had great footwork. She still beat them! She has something else – the ability to keep the shuttle in play. Grit. Even when she is tired, she just doesn’t leave the shuttle. And that wins you matches. Footwork is alright,” he chuckled.

Unnati had played an arduous, sapping 80-minute match against Malaysian Wong Chin Lin, winning 21-14, 20-22, 21-19. The Asian Games schedule demanded she show up within three hours, to play the World No 6.

After Wardani went from 11-15 to 17-15, Unnati dragged it back on sheer persistence, going on in long rallies, undeterred in the first set. That patience ate into Wardani’s resolve and with desperation came the errors.

Not giving up when tired is what wins you matches. And Unnati used her discipline and blinkers to simply do everything to keep the shuttle in play. Wardani started cracking and went into survival-mode, stopping to hit her smashes altogether.

“Wardani could’ve come back. But Unnati didn’t make errors that top players like pouncing on. Our girl held on; she didn’t leave a single shuttle despite being tired,” Guru said. “You have to give it to her mental strength. She was just not leaving the shuttle even when physically exhausted. This grit is rare, I’ve seen it only in Saina,” Guru added.