Pearly-Thinaah Storm into World Championships Final – One Step Away from National Day Glory

PETALING JAYA, Aug 30 : Malaysian women’s doubles stars Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah made history once again, advancing to the final of the World Championships in Paris, just a day before the nation celebrates its National Day.

The world No. 3 pair produced a stunning comeback to defeat Japan’s Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida 14-21, 21-13, 21-12 in 68 minutes at the Adidas Arena, Port de la Chapelle, on Saturday. The victory marked only their third win in 16 meetings against the Japanese duo, highlighting the magnitude of their achievement.

Tears of joy flowed as Pearly-Thinaah embraced on court, celebrating yet another milestone for Malaysian badminton. Just a day earlier, they had become the first women’s doubles team from the country to reach the World Championships semi-finals.

Looking ahead, Pearly-Thinaah are set to compete for the title on Sunday, Aug 31, facing either China’s world No. 1 duo Liu Shengshu-Tan Ning or Japan’s world No. 9 pair Rin Iwanaga-Kie Nakanishi. A victory would not only cap off their historic run but also offer Malaysia a memorable National Day gift.