Denmark Open: Treesa-Gayatri reach quarters, Srikkanth's valiant fight in vain

Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand reached the Denmark Open quarterfinals with a sensational win on Thursday. Kidambi Srikkanth produced a vintage performance but it wasn't enough as he lost to world champion Alex Lanier in a three-game thriller.Gayatri and Treesa pushed the World No.1 pair all the way in the semis (Courtesy: PTI)New Delhi,Oct 15, 2026 21:49 ISTTreesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand continued their impressive run at the Denmark Open, securing a place in the women's doubles quarterfinals with a straight-game victory over Indonesia's Rachel Allessya and Rose Febi Setianingrum on Thursday.DENMARK OPEN: FULL COVERAGEThe Indian duo, who won the World Championships bronze medal in August in New Delhi, overcame the fifth-seeded Indonesian pair 21-16, 21-17 in 45 minutes to move into the last eight. Treesa and Gayatri will now await the winners of the clash between Hong Kong's Yeung Nga Ting and Yeung Pui Lam and Malaysia's second-seeded duo of Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan.It was a mixed day for the Indian contingent, with Ashmita Chaliha bowing out of the women's singles competition. She went down 18-21, 10-21 to Japan's Akane Yamaguchi in the pre-quarterfinals. SRIKANTH PUSHES LANIER ALL THE WAYKidambi Srikanth produced flashes of the form that once made him one of the leading names in world badminton but could not sustain the challenge against reigning world champion Alex Lanier, losing in three games in the men's singles pre-quarterfinals.The 33-year-old Indian, who enjoyed a remarkable breakthrough in 2017 by winning four titles, relied on his delicate touch and sharp net play to take the opening game against the 21-year-old Frenchman. However, Lanier recovered to register an 11-21, 21-15, 21-15 victory in 66 minutes. Srikanth dictated the early exchanges with his ability to control the shuttle close to the net. His deceptive spinning shots and precise angled returns repeatedly caught Lanier off guard, allowing the Indian to establish a commanding 11-5 advantage at the interval before wrapping up the first game.The contest took a different turn after the mid-game break, with Lanier's coach, Kestutis Navickas, advising him to reduce his dependence on the forecourt and construct rallies through attacks from the back of the court.The adjustment helped the Frenchman bring his speed and attacking strengths into play, gradually shifting the momentum in his favour.Srikanth refused to give in without a fight, opening up a 5-2 lead in the deciding game before carrying a narrow 11-9 advantage into the interval. Lanier, however, raised the intensity in the closing stages, using his movement and defensive resilience to neutralise the Indian's attacking efforts and seal his place in the quarterfinals.- Ends