India witnessed contrasting fortunes at the Denmark Open 2026, with women’s doubles sensations Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand marching into the quarterfinals, while veteran singles star Kidambi Srikanth crashed out after a valiant three-game battle against France’s Alex Lanier.
Treesa and Gayatri, ranked around 18th in the world, defeated Indonesia’s fifth-seeded pair of Rachel Allessya Rose and Febi Setianingrum 21-16, 21-17 in 45 minutes at the SJF Bank Arena.
Treesa-Gayatri Deliver An Upset Masterclass
Continuing their sparkling momentum from their bronze-medal run at the World Championships, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand delivered an emphatic performance in the Round of 16.
From the outset, Gayatri controlled the tempo from the forecourt with crisp interceptions, while Treesa’s thunderous smashes repeatedly pierced the Indonesian defense. The Indians maintained a steady cushion throughout the contest, staving off a late second-game surge from Rose and Setianingrum to wrap up the
victory.
The victory sets up a high-stakes quarterfinal showdown against Malaysia’s second-seeded pair Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan.
Srikanth’s Vintage Display Falls Just Short
In men’s singles action, former champion Kidambi Srikanth showed flashes of his world-class prime before bowing out in a grueling 66-minute pre-quarterfinal thriller against reigning world champion Alex Lanier. Srikanth went down 21-11, 15-21, 15-21.
Srikanth overwhelmed the 21-year-old Frenchman in the opening game, using sharp net play and disguised wrist flicks to race to a 21-11 lead. However, Lanier recalibrated his tactics in the second set, drawing the Indian into longer back-court exchanges and exploiting his superior pace.
The decider remained on a knife’s edge as Srikanth led 11-9 at the mid-game interval and held a 15-13 advantage. From there, Lanier shifted into high gear, stringing together eight consecutive points to halt Srikanth’s comeback and clinch a place in the last eight
Other Indian Results
It was a tough day overall for Indian singles:
Ashmita Chaliha was knocked out in straight games by Japan’s former world champion Akane Yamaguchi, losing 18-21, 10-21.
India’s sole singles challenge rested on youngster Tanvi Sharma, who was still scheduled to play later against Germany’s Yvonne Li.News18
Earlier in the tournament, several other Indians had already exited, including Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in men’s doubles, Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty, and PV Sindhu in singles.
Treesa and Gayatri’s progress keeps India’s hopes alive at the $950,000 Super 750 event, which runs until October 18.
