Malaysia’s women’s doubles duo, Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, fell short of reaching the China Open final after being defeated by a lower-ranked Chinese pair in the semi-finals. The world No. 3 pair were outplayed in straight sets, losing 14-21, 17-21 in just 38 minutes to the world No. 7 duo Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian, who had strong support from the home crowd.
As semi-finalists at the World Tour Super 1000 event, Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah earned US$28,000 (approximately RM118,000) in prize money.
Yi Fan and Shu Xian have now secured victory in four out of five meetings against the Malaysian pair. Pearly and Thinaah’s only win came at the India Open in January, when the Chinese duo had to retire from the match due to injury.
Pearly and Thinaah’s pursuit of a second World Tour title this year remains out of reach, despite making it to four finals, including their victory at the Thailand Open in May. Just last week, the pair finished as runners-up at the Japan Open.
Despite their consistent presence in the latter stages of top-tier tournaments, Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah continue to face challenges in clinching another World Tour title. While their determination and progress are commendable, the duo will be looking to break their title drought and convert their strong performances into championship victories in the upcoming events.
Source: Free Malaysia Today
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