New Delhi, Aug. 20 -- India's women's doubles duo of Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly credited the home crowd for helping them handle the pressure as they defeated Japan's seventh-seeded pair of Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi 21-16, 21-12 in the Round of 16 at the BWF World Championships 2026 in New Delhi on Thursday.

The world No. 39 pair will now face fourth-seeded Chinese pair of Jia Yifan and Zhang Shuxian in the quarterfinals clash at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.

After the win, Gayatri Gopichand said there was some pressure playing in Delhi, but it was the kind of pressure she enjoyed. She credited the home crowd for carrying them through moments of pressure, thanked the fans for their support and urged them to keep believing...