Malaysia’s top women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah produced a gritty comeback to book their place in the Badminton Asia Championships quarter-finals after surviving a tense three-game battle in Ningbo.
The world No. 2 duo overcame Taiwan’s Hsu Yin Hui–Lin Jhih Yun 21-19, 19-21, 24-22 in a 67-minute encounter that tested both their endurance and decision-making under pressure.
The match nearly slipped away from the Malaysians after a tactical misjudgment in the second game allowed their opponents to take control. Pearly later admitted that they initially played a faster-paced game that suited the Taiwanese pair, who were stronger in that style and capitalised to build a commanding lead.
Trailing 19-12 in the second game, the Malaysians were forced to adjust their approach mid-match, shifting tactics in an attempt to slow the tempo and regain control. Although they dropped the second game, the adjustment proved crucial in the deciding set, where they managed to recover and close out a tight finish.
Pearly acknowledged that the performance exposed areas for improvement, while Thinaah also noted inconsistencies in execution and the need for greater focus moving forward.
Their quarter-final challenge will be another tough test against China’s Li Yi Jing and Luo Xu Min. Both pairs are evenly matched on head-to-head record, setting up a closely contested battle for a place in the semi-finals.
Elsewhere in the draw, Malaysia’s other women’s doubles pair Carmen Ting and Ong Xin Yee were eliminated after a straight-games defeat to Japan’s world No. 7 duo Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi. In women’s singles, K. Letshanaa also exited the competition following a loss to South Korea’s Sim Yu Jin.
With several Malaysian representatives now out of the tournament, attention turns to the remaining contenders as the BAC progresses deeper into the knockout stages.
