Malaysia’s women’s doubles stars Pearly Tan and M.Thinaah have scripted a historic milestone, becoming the first Malaysians ever to be top seeds at the prestigious season-ending Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals (WTF), set to take place in Hangzhou from 17th-21st December.
Their breakthrough comes as the pair sit No.1 on the World Tour rankings as of 25th November, placing them ahead of China’s powerhouse duo Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning, currently ranked third, and widely regarded as the pair to beat this season.
This marks a first for Malaysia across all categories. The nation’s previous highest seeds at the event were men’s doubles world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, who entered as second seeds in 2020, and independent shuttler Lee Zii Jia, seeded eighth in 2021. Badminton legend Datuk Razif Sidek praised the achievement, calling it a defining moment in Malaysia’s badminton history.
“It is fantastic recognition for Pearly-Thinaah to become Malaysia’s first top seeds at the WTF. It reflects their rising confidence and consistency on the World Tour,” he said.
Razif believes the world No.2 Malaysians have elevated their level so dramatically this season that no pair, not even the top Chinese pair, can beat them at the moment.
“Pearly-Thinaah have elevated their game to a point where no pair — not even the top Chinese pairs — can beat them at the moment”
“There isn’t much separating them from the Chinese pairs, so they have a genuine chance of winning their biggest title in Hangzhou. They should go all out and aim for history.” He added that the gap between Pearly-Thinaah and world No.1 Sheng Shu-Tan Ning is now razor-thin.
Eyes on the Semi Finals, Regardless of group draw
Under the World Tour Finals format, the top 8 pairs in the world qualify and are split into two groups. Despite their top billing, Pearly-Thinaah could still end up in the same group as the Chinese world No.1 pair, a potential early showdown that fans are eagerly anticipating.
Razif remains confident: “At their current level, they should make the semi-finals even if they are grouped with China.”
The World Tour Finals offers one of badminton’s highest prize pools, with a total purse of US$3 million (RM12.39 million). The champions in each category will walk away with US$252,000 (RM1.04 million), an added motivation for the Malaysian duo, who have already enjoyed a stellar season with multiple titles and final appearances.
As Pearly-Thinaah prepare to step onto the Hangzhou court as Malaysia’s first ever top seeds, the question is no longer whether they can challenge for the title, but whether they are already to write a new chapter of Malaysian badminton history.
Sources: NST
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