Now Reading
Pearly-Thinaah Create History With French Open Win

Pearly-Thinaah Create History With French Open Win

Malaysian shuttlers Pearly Tan and M Thinaah defeated Japan’s two-time world champions Mayu Matsumoto-Wakana Nagahara in Paris.

Subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest stories and updates.


Malaysia’s shuttlers Pearly Tan and M Thinaah were crowned the French Open women’s doubles title champions yesterday (30 October).

They defeated Japan’s two-time world champions Mayu Matsumoto-Wakana Nagahara 21-19, 18-21, 21-15 in the final in Paris.

Pearly and Thinaah created history by becoming the first women’s doubles pair in the country to win the title in France.

The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) said the closest Malaysia ever came to winning the title was when Chin Ee Hui-Wong Pei Tty became runners-up in 2008 after losing three sets to China’s Du Jing-Yu Yang.

It’s also the biggest title win in Pearly and Thinaah’s careers and the second in World Tour competitions after winning in the Swiss Open in March 2021.

During the French Open, the Malaysian pair faced Indonesia’s Apriyani Rahayu-Siti Fadia Ramadhanti in the first round and Japanese pair, world No. 3 Chiharu Shida-Nami Matsuyama in the quarter-finals.

Coach Hoon Thien How praised Pearly and Thinaah for their mental fortitude during the match.

It was Pearly-Thinaah’s first World Tour final of the year but mentally they were very strong. This is a really good win for them. Hopefully, they can get even better in tournaments after this.

Coach Hoon Thien How

Pearly-Thinaah had displayed great fighting spirit and composure against their more experienced opponents.

According to The Vibes, 22-year-old Pearly was left crying when she feared she had suffered a long-term injury two months ago. She had injured her hamstrings at the Japan Open in September.

Pearly said the trust between the pair played a vital role in their success.

It is unexpected for us. This win really boosts our confidence. Most important is the trust that we have with each other and with our coaches.

Pearly Tan

Pearly and Thinaah previously won the Commonwealth Games gold medal and reached the semi-finals at the Thailand Open in May, the Indonesian Masters in June, and the Malaysian Masters in July.

READ MORE: Indonesian Coach Eng Hian Apologises For Calling Malaysian Shuttlers ‘Black’ And ‘White’


Share your thoughts with us via TRP’s FacebookTwitter, and Instagram.

Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.

© 2024 The Rakyat Post. All Rights Reserved. Owned by 3rd Wave Media Sdn Bhd