PEARLY TAN and M. Thinaah have created Malaysian badminton history by becoming the nation’s first women’s doubles pair to reach the final of the Badminton World Federation World Championships.
The world number two pair produced a remarkable comeback to defeat Japan’s Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida 14-21, 21-13, 21-12 in a thrilling 68-minute semi-final clash at Paris’s Adidas Arena.
This victory marks only their third win in sixteen encounters against the formidable Japanese duo ranked third globally.
Pearly-Thinaah will now face either China’s top seeds Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning or Japan’s Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi in tomorrow’s championship decider.
This achievement represents their best performance in four World Championship appearances, surpassing their previous quarter-final finish in the 2023 edition.
Pearly expressed overwhelming emotions about their historic achievement following recent challenges in their preparation.
Matsuyama and Shida will receive bronze medals following their semi-final defeat against the Malaysian pair. – Bernama
