NATIONAL doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky needed just one word to describe the performance of top women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah in the Indonesia Open 2025 final in Jakarta yesterday — “awesome.”
Despite narrowly missing out on the top podium, Rexy expressed satisfaction with the world No. 4 duo’s performance, noting their composure and focus against the world No. 1 pair from China, Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning, at the iconic Istora Senayan.
Pearly and Thinaah pushed the top seeds to the limit in a gripping one-hour and 29-minute battle, ultimately falling 25-23, 12-21, 19-21.
“The only thing that I can say is that their performance was awesome,” he told Bernama.
As runners-up, Pearly-Thinaah took home USD50,750 (about RM215,000) while the champions Sheng Shu-Tan Ning pocketed USD107,300 (approximately RM454,000).
Although yesterday’s result extended Sheng Shu and Tan Ning’s lead in the rivalry to 8-3, Pearly and Thinaah’s latest performance indicates the gap is narrowing.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian doubles expert also expressed satisfaction with the strong overall showing from other national doubles representatives at the Super 1000 tournament.
“All our doubles players played really well in the Indonesia Open,” he said.
Of the seven other national doubles pairs competing at the Indonesia Open, two reached the semi-finals: men’s doubles duo Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun, and mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei.
Last Saturday, Wei Chong and Kai Wun narrowly lost to the home favourites Sabar Karyaman and Moh Reza Isfahani, 18-21, 21-12, 18-21, while Tang Jie and Ee Wei were edged out by Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran, 23-21, 15-21, 11-21.
