Zhang, the younger Chinese partner, was clearly targeted, but neither Treesa nor Gayatri spared the seasoned Jia either. Gayatri got down to work in the front court, those angled pings sowing doubt in Zhang’s head, while Treesa started bisecting the Chinese in a side-by-side receiving stance. Things were tight as the Indians led 15-14 in the second, even as coach Gopichand kept urging the Indians to push the Chinese back. Gayatri deep smashing then took the lead to 17-14.

India’s Gayatri Gopichand Pullela, and Treesa Jolly react after beating China’s Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian in the quarterfinal match of the Badminton World Championships in New Delhi. (AP)

Earlier, Treesa dove side and then front, and Gayatri got back a few low retrieves too, but the Indians lost the point at 16-14.

Perhaps the best rally of the match came at 18-14 when the Indians soaked up the attacking pressure, went from defence to offence in a blink before Treesa finished the flurry with a scalding smash. The Indians their Thursday gameplan of sending quick returns on the body, to ensure the reflex responses sail wide when hit from out of position. The Chinese confusion was evident as both went for the same shuttle. Though the Indians logged a couple of errors, the Chinese were hemmed in by the shuttle stalking them around.

Treesa would start finding gaps left by the wrongfooted Chinese as the Indians settled into a fast-flat game to sprint to a 11-5 lead. Gayatri would intercept high and fast rushing the Chinese as their defence came apart under the blitzing onslaught as the drift was harnessed by the Indians to bring down Jia, a women’s doubles giant.

“I had messed up earlier with eagerness to score points. Today I stayed calm,” Treesa would say. It was Jia’s time to get hurried and rushed.