Can Pearly-Thinaah avoid the early banana skin this time?

KUALA LUMPUR: World No. 2 women's pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah have been dealt a manageable early path at the Malaysia Open — but recent history is a reminder that nothing comes easy on home soil.

Seeded second, Pearly-Thinaah open their campaign against India's world No. 53 Rutaparna Panda-Swetaparna Panda in the first round.

If they progress, the Malaysians will meet either India's Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand (world No. 20) or Indonesia's Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma-Meilysa Trias Puspitasari (world No. 69).

On paper, the draw points toward a smooth route into the quarter-finals.

But the pair have not gone past the first round in the last three editions — 2022, 2024 and this year — underlining that early matches at the Malaysia Open can prove trickier than they appear.

Those exits were painful reminders. In 2023, they lost to the lower-ranked Bulgarian sisters Gabriela Stoeva-Stefanie Stoeva, while in January this year they were upset by Indonesia's Lenny Tria Mayasari-Siti Fadia Ramadhanti.

Should Pearly-Thinaah steady themselves this time, a heavyweight clash likely awaits.

South Korea's Baek Ha Na-Lee So Hee, ranked world No. 6, are projected quarter-final opponents. The head-to-head stands at 3-3, with the Koreans winning their most recent meeting at the China Masters in September.

Ha Na-Lee So Hee also come in buoyed by their World Tour Finals triumph.

The bottom half of the draw remains stacked. China's world No. 4 Jia Yi Fan-Zhang Shu Xian and Japan's world No. 5 Yuki Fukushima-Mayu Matsumoto loom as possible later-round threats.

Fukushima-Matsumoto recently defeated Pearly-Thinaah twice — in both the group stage and semi-finals — at the season finale.

World No. 1 and defending champions Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning headline the top half alongside South Korea's Kim Hye Jeong-Kong Hee Yong and Japan's Arisa Igarashi-Chiharu Shida.

Two other Malaysian pairs also landed in the top half.

World No. 22 Teoh Mei Xing-Go Pei Kee meet Hong Kong's world No. 13 Yeung Nga Ting-Yeung Pui Lam, while world No. 26 Carmen Ting-Ong Xin Yee face Japan's world No. 16 Rui Hirokami-Sayaka Hobara.

Malaysia last celebrated a women's doubles title at the Malaysia Open in 1965, when Teoh Siew Yong-Rosalind Singha Ang emerged champions.