Japan Masters 2024: Treesa-Gayatri pair exits in opening round

India's Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand lost to the Chinese Taipei pair of Hsu Yin-Hui and Lin Jhih Yun in the opening round of the Kumamoto Masters Japan Super 500 tournament on Tuesday.

Japan Masters 2024: Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand in action. (BAI Photo)

In a disappointing start to their Kumamoto Masters campaign, India's Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand bowed out in the first round with a straight-games defeat against the Chinese Taipei duo Hsu Yin-Hui and Lin Yin-Hui on Tuesday. The world-ranked No. 20 Indian pair fell 16-21, 16-21 to the Taiwanese team, currently ranked 24th, concluding their match in just 36 minutes.

This loss marks the first victory for Hsu Yin-Hui and Lin Yin-Hui against the Indian pair, who still lead the head-to-head record 2-1. Treesa and Gayatri struggled to find their rhythm in a match that saw the Taiwanese pair control the tempo, capitalizing on well-placed smashes and tighter net play.

Meanwhile, Indian badminton stars PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen will kickstart their Kumamoto Masters campaigns on Wednesday. Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, is set to face eighth-seeded Thai player Busanan Ongbamrungphan in the women’s singles opening round. Lakshya Sen, a World Championship medallist, will take on Malaysia's Leong Jun Hao in his opening men's singles encounter.

Both Sindhu and Sen are expected to carry India's hopes forward after Treesa and Gayatri's early exit, and fans back home will be eagerly watching as they aim for deep runs in the Super 500 tournament.