Malaysia’s top women’s doubles pair, Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan, has secured a place in the quarter-finals of the Badminton Asia Championships 2026, held at the Olympic Sports Centre in Ningbo, China. The world’s No. 2 duo won over Taiwan’s Hsu Yin Hui and Lin Jhih Yun with a score of 21-19, 19-21, 24-22. This match lasted 67 minutes, showcasing their resilience as they were pushed to their limits.
This victory marks their third consecutive win against the Taiwanese pair, having defeated them in two tournaments in 2025. Following this tough match, Pearly and Thinaah advanced to the last eight, where they are set to face either Japan’s Rui Hirokami and Sayaka Hobara or China’s Li Yijing and Luo Xumin.
Pearly and Thinaah admitted that a wrong tactical approach nearly cost them the match at the Badminton Asia Championships 2026. The duo struggled early on because of their ineffective strategy, which allowed the Taiwanese team to take control and put them in a difficult position.
Despite the shaky start, Pearly and Thinaah managed to regroup and adjust their strategy to secure a hard-fought victory. Their ability to quickly correct mistakes and remain composed under pressure ultimately helped them keep their campaign alive in the tournament.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s performance in the women’s doubles category was mixed, as another national pair, Ong Xin Yee and Carmen Ting, was eliminated in the second round after losing to a higher-ranked Japanese duo. Additionally, in women’s singles, K. Letshanaa lost 21-14, 21-8 to South Korea’s Sim Yu Jin.
