It was a day of heartbreak for Malaysia’s top women’s doubles pair, Pearly Tan and M.Thinaah, as they fell short of clinching their Japan Open title after a commanding performance by China’s world number one duo, Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning, in the final held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
The highly anticipated Super 750 showdown started with both pairs neck and neck at 6-6, but the Chinese pair soon shifted gears, dominating the rest of the first game to win 21-15. Sheng Shu and Tan Ning then came out firing in the second game, racing to an early 4-0 lead and keeping up the momentum to secure the match 21-14 in just 45 minutes.
This marks the ninth defeat for Pearly-Thinaah in 12 encounters with the Chinese duo, including their previous meeting at the Indonesia Open final last month, where they lost in a tight three-game battle. Despite their spirited efforts, the Malaysian pair once again came up short, and their bid to become the first Malaysian women’s doubles pair to lift the Japan Open title ended in disappointment.
Nevertheless, Pearly and Thinaah still walked away with a runner-up prize of US $ 33,250 (Approximately RM141,000), while the Chinese pair took home US $ 70,300 (around RM298,000).
The world No.3 duo has been in fine form throughout 2025, with a Thailand title in May, a runner-up finish at the Indonesia Masters in January, and now another Super 750 final under their belt. Even though the pair did not bring a trophy home, Pearly and Thinaah continue to cement their reputation as one of the most formidable women’s doubles pairs on the global stage.
With the 2028 Olympics in sight, and their recent four-year contract extension with BAM (Badminton Association of Malaysia), Pearly and Thinaah’s journey is far from over. If anything, this loss adds fuel to their fire as they continue their pursuit of making history for Malaysian badminton.
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