All England: ‘We’re Going for the Title’
Having reached only their second major semifinal, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Pullela aren’t reining in their expectations. “We’re going for the title,” said Pullela; that feat would help her emulate the…
· DEV SUKUMAR
Having reached only their second major semifinal, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Pullela aren’t reining in their expectations. “We’re going for the title,” said Pullela; that feat would help her emulate the title-winning accomplishment of her father in 2001.
The Indians, who caused a stir last year by making the semifinals after being promoted from the reserves list, haven’t matched that performance over the last 12 months, having fallen in the early rounds of nine of their last 10 HSBC BWF World Tour tournaments. Their best was a semifinal at the HYLO Open last November, and Pullela acknowledged that there was something about the All England that helped raise their game.
Today, in the quarterfinals of the YONEX All England 2023, the Indians looked very much a top pair as they dismantled Li Wen Mei/Liu Xuan Xuan, with Jolly being the standout player as she peppered the Chinese with big smashes that broke through their defences. Pullela held her end up pretty well, capitalising on all the openings that came her way.