Malaysia’s top women’s doubles pair, Pearly Tan and M.Thinaah, continues to struggle against their long time opponent, Japan’s Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida, bringing their head-to-head record a tough win of 1-13 after a close match at Sudirman Cup in Xiamen, China.
But it was a crucial decider with Malaysia and Japan tied 2-2 in the group stage, as all eyes were on the Malaysian pair to deliver a much needed win. Despite putting up a tough fight, Pearly and Thinaah was defeated with 21-18, 18-21, 21-18.
The defeat extended the Japanese pair’s dominance over Pearly and Thinaah who have managed to beat them only once in 14 encounters so far.
“There wasn’t pressure because our head-to-head with them is really bad and we both wanted to enjoy the game and also hope to contribute a point. But unfortunately we couldn’t make it”, Pearly shared after the match.
Thinaah said the same, acknowledging their opponents aggression and their own lapse in focusing during crucial time.
“I think our gameplay was okay but we gave in too much, and they were more aggressive. I think we need to be more alert at the crucial points and we need to work on that when we head back home”, she said.
Despite the loss, Pearly and Thinaah’s fighting spirit was strong throughout the three game, and they remain optimistic about improving and overcoming their psychological hurdle against the Japanese duo.
As Malaysia reflects on the Sudirman Cup performance, the focus for both Pearly and Thinaah shifts towards learning from this experience and preparing to bounce back stronger in upcoming games.
Sources: NST
