Malaysia’s top women’s doubles pair, Pearly Tan and M.Thinaah, continued their red-hot form this season by capturing the Kumamoto Masters title today after a commanding performance against Japan’s Rin Iwanaga-Kie Nakanishi. Despite the electrifying home support behind their opponents at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium, the world No.2 duo held their nerve to secure a 22-20, 21-19 victory in a tense 54-minute final.
The opening game mirrored the resilience they displayed in the semi-final once again battling back from the brink after trailing 17-20. Their sharp court coverage, aggressive front-court play, and unwavering composure under pressure pushed them over the line, silencing the home crowd.
This win marked their third title of the year, reinforcing their status as one of the strongest pairs on the international circuit. The Malaysian duo also took home US$37,535 (RM155,190) in prize money, while the runners-up earned US$18,050 (RM76,648). Impressively, Pearly-Thinaah have now defeated lwanaga-Nakanishi in seven of their nine meetings, showcasing their dominance over the Japanese pair.
Their remarkable 2025 season now includes seven final appearances equalling the record previously set by men’s doubles legends Razof Sidel and Jailani Sidek in 1989. Only Datuk Lee Chong Wei has achieved a better year on record with 11 finals in 2010.
Pearly-Thinaah’s growing collection of titles reflects their steady rise since 2021. They lifted the Swiss Open that year, followed by the French Open (2022) and the Hong Kong Open (2024). This year alone, they have triumphed at the Arctic Open, Thailand Open and now the Kumamoto Masters, while also finishing as runners-up at the World Championships in Paris, falling to China’s top-ranked Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning.
The duo are expected to be strong contenders at the season-ending World Tour Finals (WTF) in Hangzhou from 17th December to 21st December, where a massive RM12.5 million prize pool awaits. Before that, they will make one final stop at the Australia Open in Sydney next week, opening their campaign against Indonesia’s Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma-Meilysa Trias Puspitasari.
Pearly-Thinaah will join several other Malaysian representative who have also earned their places at the prestigious WTF, including men’s doubles stars Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, and mixed doubles pairs Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei and Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie.
With confidence soaring and momentum on their side, Pearly-Thinaah’s latest victory not only cements their position at the top of the World Tour standings, it also sends a strong message ahead of the sports biggest season final.
Sources: FMT
