Malaysia’s top women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan and M.Thinaah made it to the semi-finals at the All England Open Badminton Championships in Birmingham for the first time. The duo opened their campaign with a quarter-final win against Indonesia’s Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma and Meilysa Trias Puspitasari, winning in straight sets, 21-9, 21-18, in only 43 minutes.
The victory marked a significant milestone for Malaysian badminton, as the duo became the first Malaysian women’s double pair to reach the All England semi-finals in 19 years. The last women’s pair to achieve the feat was Wong Pei Tty and Chin Eei Hui back in 2007.
This triumph kept Malaysians hopes alive at one of badminton’s most historic tournaments and raised expectations for a potential place in the finals. However, the Malaysians campaign came to an end in the semi-finals after they were defeated by World No.4 pair Baek Ha Na and Lee So Hee from South Korea.
The Korean duo secured the match in straight sets, 21-17, 21-18, ending Pearly and Thinaah’s hope of becoming the first Malaysian women’s doubles pair to reach the All England Final. This defeat marked the fourth loss in 7 meetings between both the pairs, highlighting the intense rivalry that has developed between them on the international circuit.
Despite the setback, both Pearly and Thinaah’s performance remains a significant achievement for Malaysian badminton history. Their semi-final appearance widely regarded as the sport’s oldest and most prestigious event, presents an encouraging step forward for the nation’s women’s doubles programme. While the historic berth narrowly slipped away, their run in Birmingham reaffirmed their status as one of the world’s leading women doubles and signals that Malaysia’s wait for another All England breakthrough may not be far away.
