NEW DELHI, Aug. 23 -- The atmosphere inside the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Saturday evening was electric. It was pulsating with the noise being made by the boisterous 8,000-strong crowd, hopes rising as the Indian women's doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand put on a brilliant early fight in the semi-finals. The pair had already enjoyed a slice of history, assuring themselves of bronze which extended India's run of winning at least one medal in the BWF World Championships since the historic first women's doubles bronze clinched by Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa in 2011. The decibel levels soared when they pulled off the first game against world No.1 China's Liu Shen Shu and Tan Ning, but the top seeds re-set and turned the tables as the Indians lost 21-18, 13-21, 8-21. The world No.39 Indian pair had already scripted a fairytale through the week, ousting three seeded pairs. This matchup was a different beast, but their performance on Saturday showed their potential to raise their level. This bronze could well be the launchpad for higher achievements. The chasm in rankings was barely evident early on as Treesa and Gayatri matched the aggression of their opponents in the first game. Playing a fearless brand of badminton, they took a 7-2 lead. The world No.1 pair though found their footing as they reeled off 10 consecutive points. Treesa and Gayatri though were full of resilience. Trailing 16-18, they smartly and patiently built the rallies and finished them, their five-point streak handing them the game. "We were a bit more confident in the first game," Gayatri said later. The second game though proved a gruelling physical and mental contest. It was all level as Treesa and Gayatri edged 12-11 ahead. The turning point arrived moments later in the form of a 49-shot rally at 12-all. The Indians threw everything at their opponents, but Liu and Tan's impenetrable defence absorbed the pressure, eventually winning the point. That exchange shifted the momentum. A slight lapse in focus from the home favourites, and errors seeping in, allowed the Chinese to reel off eight straight points, dragging the contest into a decider. "In the second game, they played very patiently. We couldn't match," added Gayatri, who father and chief national coach Pullela Gopichand, was an animated figure on the sideline as he guided them through the tough contest. "After the second game, the few mistakes made us a little un-confident, a little bit doubtful about the strokes that we were playing," she said. The Indian pair retreated into a shell, becoming more defensive and losing the sting of the first game. By the third game, Liu and Tan's championship pedigree was on full display. They utilised clever net play and brilliant jump smashes to dictate the tempo. An exhausting 56-shot rally, the longest of the match, at 2-all in the decider seemed to drain the remaining reserves of the Indian pair. Despite the loss, the overriding emotion for Treesa and Gayatri was pride. Entering the tournament having played relatively few matches this year due to an ankle injury Treesa suffered in April, it made the journey to the podium memorable. "If you see the whole week, it has been amazing," Treesa said. "We created many upsets. It's such a great week for us. So many great matches, so many things to take away." The bronze secures their place in an elite club of Indian players who have excelled at the World Championships. The timing couldn't be better, riding the wave of happiness after their recent inclusion in the Arjuna award list. It was a sweet, fitting end to a bittersweet day, one where a loss on the court still resulted in a legacy defining victory for Indian badminton....