Indian badminton players Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand were eliminated in the first round of the 2024 Japan Masters, held at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium in Kumamoto, Japan, on November 12. The world No. 20 pair, who had shown promise in earlier tournaments, fell short in their women’s doubles round of 32 match against Chinese Taipei's Hsu Yin-Hui and Lin Yin-Hui, who are ranked 24th in the world. The match ended in straight games, with the Indian duo losing 16-21, 16-21 in just 36 minutes.
The opening game saw the Indian pair struggle early, trailing 7-4. However, they mounted a strong comeback, leveling the score at 8-8. Despite this rally, the Chinese Taipei pair seized control by scoring six consecutive points, ultimately clinching the first game 21-16. In the second game, Hsu and Lin extended their lead to 12-7, but Jolly and Gopichand once again fought back to draw level with five straight points. Unfortunately, the Chinese Taipei pair proved too strong in the final stages, closing out the match to secure a spot in the second round.
This defeat marks the first time that Hsu Yin-Hui and Lin Yin-Hui have defeated Jolly and Gopichand, who still lead their head-to-head contest 2-1. Earlier this year, the Indian pair had emerged victorious against the Chinese Taipei duo in both the Macau Open and German Open. However, in this encounter, the Indian duo couldn’t replicate their previous success.
Hsu and Lin, who now move to the second round, will face the second-seeded Chinese pair of Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning on Thursday, November 14.
In other news, former World Champion P.V. Sindhu, who has faced challenges throughout the 2024 season, is set to begin her campaign in the women’s singles at the Japan Masters. Sindhu will face eighth-seeded Thai shuttler Busanan Ongbamrungphan in her opening match, as she looks to bounce back from a difficult year on the BWF World Tour.
The Japan Masters 2024 continues to showcase intense competition as top players from around the world vie for the prestigious Super 500 title.
