PETALING JAYA: Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah found their mojo at the right moment to become only the second Malaysian women’s doubles pair to advance to the World Championships quarter-finals.
Everything the world No. 13 touched turned into gold as Pearly and Thinaah put up a supreme effort to topple two-time world champions Mayu Matsumoto-Wakana Nagahara of Japan 21-14, 22-20 in an entertaining third round clash that lasted for 47 minutes at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen yesterday.
Surprising it may be but Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui were the only pair who have reached the quarter-finals stage previously and it was achieved 16 years ago in Kuala Lumpur (2007).
Pearly-Thinaah also made use of their good record against world No. 4 Matsumoto-Nagahara, having beaten them twice in three meetings, to pile on the pressure.
They are the first pair to stop the Japanese from their fourth successive podium finish at the worlds. They have won a medal since the 2018 editions.
They also remained solid as Matsumoto-Nagahara staged a strong fightback in the second game where they led 10-7 and 13-10 but Pearly-Thinaah halted the run in quick fashion.
Remaining strong during crucial stages ensured Pearly-Thinaah make another significant breakthrough in their careers.
Pearly-Thinaah’s biggest career success – the French Open title in October last year – was also achieved at the expense of Matsumoto-Nagahara.
National doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky had pressed the importance of maintaining focus from the start until the end and Pearly-Thinaah followed the instruction strictly yesterday.
They didn’t let their guard down when the opponents pressed on the gas midway through the second game.
The advice and preparation to avoid disaster during that stage seem to have worked as Pearly-Thinaah showed strong resilience to earn the important win.
Pearly-Thinaah have another mountain to climb against China’s pair Zhang Shuxian-Zheng Yu in the last eight today as the Malaysians have yet to beat the world No. 6 in three previous meetings.
However, based on their performance yesterday, it is distinctively positive Pearly-Thinaah are on the verge of history and have what it takes to claim Malaysia’s first medal in the women’s doubles by checking into the last four.
RESULTS
Malaysians unless stated
SECOND ROUND
Men’s singles: Angus Ng Ka Long (Hkg) bt Uriel Artiga (Arg) 21-17, 21-11; Shi Yuqi (Chn) bt Rasmus Gemke (Den) 21-13, 21-8; Lee Cheuk Yiu (Hkg) bt Jason Teh (Sin) 21-17, 23-21; Anders Antonsen (Den) bt Ng Tze Yong 24-22, 21-16; Lee Zii Jia bt Brian Yang (Can) 21-11, 21-16.
Men’s doubles: Lee Jhe-huei-Yang Po-hsuan (Tpe) bt Fajara Alfian-Rian Ardianto (Ina) 21-18, 21-19; Kang Min-hyuk-Seo Seung-jae (Kor) bt Christian Bernardo-Alvin Morada (Phi) 21-10, 21-13; Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan (Ina) bt Giovanni Greco-David Salutt (Ita) 21-12, 21-14; He Jiting-Zhao Haodong (Chn) bt Ondrej Kral-Adam Mendrek (Cze) 21-9, 21-19; Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik bt Jeppe Bay-Lasse Molhede (Den) 18-21, 21-14, 21-16; Lee Yang-Wang Chi-lin (Tpe) bt Akira Koga-Taichi Saito (Jpn) 22-20, 21-16; Shohibul Fikri-Bagas Maulana (Ina) bt Bjarne Geiss-Jan Colin Voelker (Ger) 21-12, 21-16; Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi (Jpn) bt Ren Xiangyu-Tan Qiang (Chn) 21-12, 21-10; Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang (Chn) bt Christo Popov-Toma Junior Popov (Fra) 21-12, 21-13; Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen (Den) bt Alexander Dunn-Adam Hall (Sco) 21-12, 21-12; Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi bt Pharanyu Kaosamaang-Worrapol Thongsa-Nga (Tha) 21-16, 18-21, 21-12; Leo Rolly-Daniel Marthin (Ina) bt Ben Lane-Sean Vendy (Eng) 18-21, 21-19, 21-10; Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty (Ind) bt Kenneth Zhe-Lim Ming Chuen (Aus) 21-16, 21-9.
Women’s singles: Tai Tzu-ying (Tpe) bt Line Christophersen (Den) 21-16, 21-13; Han Yue (Chn) bt Line Kjaersfeldt (Den) 21-13, 14-21, 21-14; Gregoria Mariska (Ina) bt Yeo Jia Min (Sin) 21-10, 22-24, 21-14; Busanan Ongbamrungphan (Tha) bt Kim Ga-eun (Kor) 15-21, 21-18, 21-16; Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn) bt Neslihan Arin (Tur) 21-7, 21-11.
Women’s doubles: Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida (Jpn) bt Lee Chia-hsin-Teng Chun-hsun (Tpe) 21-16, 21-15; Rin Iwanaga-Kie Nakanishi (Jpn) bt Maiken Fruergaard-Sara Thygesen (Den) 21-17, 20-22, 23-21; Mayu Matsumoto-Wakana Nagahara (Jpn) bt Serena Au Yeong-Katharina Hochmeir (Aut) 21-11, 21-5; Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah bt Sarah Macpherson-Ciara Torrance (Sco) 21-15, 21-10; Zhang Shuxian-Zheng Yu (Chn) bt Jaqueline Lima-Samia Lima (Bra) 21-12, 21-15; Yeung Nga Ting-Yeung Pui Lam (Hkg) bt Gabriela Stoeva-Stefani Stoeva (Bul) 21-18, 21-8; Kim So-yeong-Kong Hee-yong (Kor) bt Hsu Ya-ching-Lin Wan-ching (Tpe) 17-21, 27-25, 21-11; Li Wenmei-Liu Xuanxuan (Chn) bt Jin Yujia-Crystal Wong (Sin) 21-18, 21-11; Yuki Fukushima-Sayaka Hirota (Jpn) bt Vivian Hoo-Lim Chiew Sien 21-11, 21-14; Apriyani Rahayu-Siti Fadia Ramadhanti (Ina) bt Debora Jille-Cheryl Seinen (Ned) 19-21, 21-14, 21-16; Baek Ha-na-Lee So-hee (Kor) bt Francesca Korbett-Allison Lee (US) 21-14 21-13.
THIRD ROUND
Women’s doubles: Che Qingchen-Jia Yifan (Chn) bt Treesa Jolly-Gayathri Gopichand (Ind) 21-14 21-9; Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah (Mas) bt Mayu Matsumoto-Wakana Nagahara (Jpn) 21-14, 22-20; Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida (Jpn) bt Rin Iwanaga-Kie Nakanishi (Jpn) 21-13, 21-11; Zhang Shuxian-Zheng Yu (Chn) bt Kirsten de Wit-Alyssa Tirtosentono 21-13, 21-10.
Mixed doubles: Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei bt Thom Gicquel-Delphine Delrue (Fra) 20-22, 21-19, 21-12; Seo Seung-jae-Chae Yu-jung (Kor) bt Supak Jomkoh-Suppissara Paewsampran (Tha) 21-10, 15-21, 21-16; Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Tha) bt Rinov Rivaldi-Pitha Haningtyas (Ina) 21-12, 21-19; Jiang Zhenbang-Wei Yaxin (Chn) bt Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie 21-16, 21-18; Zheng Siwei-Huang Yaqiong (Chn) bt Dejan Ferdinansyah- Gloria Emanuelle (Ina) 21-14, 21-9.
