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Silver For Pearly & Thinaah on a Day When Malaysian Stars Shone Brightly.

What a remarkable World Championships this has been for Malaysian badminton. The athletes rose to the occasion with composure and brilliance, producing performances under unforgiving pressure. Their achievements offer not only moments to savour now, but also genuine reasons for optimism about the nation’s badminton future.

Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan came to Paris as the second seeds, and they will leave with silver — a result that underlines just how far they have come. Their campaign has been nothing short of outstanding. By the time they stepped onto court for the final, Malaysian fans spirits were high as Chen and Toh had already secured the mixed doubles crown.

The opening game was unforgiving. A handful of errors proved costly, and the Chinese top seeds seized the initiative to close it out 21–14 with authority. For Pearly and Thinaah, the question was clear: did they possess the tactical clarity and mental steel to turn the contest around?

The second game was a battle of momentum, swinging one way and then the other as each pair sought control. Tan and Liu pressed hard for a straight-sets victory, while Pearly and Thinaah fought simply to stay alive. At 20–20 the match looked to be slipping from their grasp — yet with a smile and a deep breath they refused to yield. Their resolve was rewarded, and they snatched the game 22–20 to force a decider.

The deciding game crackled with intensity. All four players threw themselves into the contest, producing rallies of breathtaking quality punctuated by the occasional anxious error. Liu and Tan managed to stay a fraction in front, holding their nerve despite relentless Malaysian pressure. Pearly and Thinaah battled fiercely to the very end, but the final spark needed to unsettle the top seeds proved elusive.

The Chinese pair just managed to hold their nerve, taking the title in the 21–17 decider. Pearly and Thinaah will naturally feel some disappointment at missing out on the top prize, but a closer analysis shows how victory or defeat hinged on just a handful of points. Having emerged from injury setbacks and undeserved criticism, they can take pride in establishing themselves as a formidable pairing over the past few months. Today they proved that they belong amongst badminton’s elite.

If you enjoyed this take a look at Rene Biaoli’s blog https://badmintoniacs.wordpress.com/

Or you may like my archive article about one of the most inspiring Malaysian players GOH Jin Wei.

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Pearly & Thinaah: Into the Olympic Semifinals

In a brutal demolition of their Korean opponents Pearly Tan & Thinaah Muralitharan made history as the first Malaysian WD pair to reach an Olympic final. Wow, did they deserve this win.

There was a focus and intensity about the pair of them right from the start. This was a death or glory tie, and they made the choice to go for glory. The first set went by in a flash. The attack was slick and the defence held steady. There was a quiet confidence about them as they went toe-to-toe with the Tokyo bronze medalists. One up 21-12. How would the Koreans respond? This was an unbelievable start.

Korea began the second set in a more composed way. The serve alternated as no-one was able to build momentum. 4-4. 5-5. 8-8. Then something flicked the attack switch inside Pearly and Thinaah’s game brains – the semifinals were calling, and they could not ignore the temptation to go for it.

Pearly in particular was adept at moving her opponents around to gain space to attack. She was always searching for angles to exploit. Thinaah was her reliable back-up. Nothing got past her. The Koreans started to run out of ideas as Malaysia edged ahead into the interval just ahead 11-8.

They were unrelenting as they played for a semi-final place. The score kept ticking up and they were so smooth in their partnership. The understanding between them and their faith in their strategy was incredibly resilient. Kim/Kong were still fighting hard and managed to claw back some points.

At 12-13 I was a little concerned as Pearly seemed to be having a minor hamstring twinge; suddenly the Koreans were level 13-13. Was this the anticipated fight-back?

Fearless and brave the Malaysian pair took deep breaths, refocused, and found a higher level. Their rivals were pressured into unforced errors; they were misjudging the drift, and their challenge was starting to fade. Pearly and Thinaah were hungry for points. They had not stepped on court to indulge the Korean’s love of long rallies. They were direct and determined. Still the score kept advancing in their favour.

There was nothing that Kim/Kong could do to counter this persistent attack. As the set progressed, they faded. As they faded, Pearly and Thinaah grew. 18-13, 19-13, 20-13 match point. Surely nothing could stop them now. Never in doubt! 21-13. What a performance.

If you enjoyed this then take a look at the article written by my friend Rene Biaoli http://badmintoniacs.wordpress.com

Pearly & Thinaah: What Happens Next?

Before we look forward to Paris 2024 let’s cast our minds back to Paris 2022 and the final of the Yonex French Open. Pearly & Thinaah had negotiated a tough run to the final beating Matsuyama/Shida in their QF and Baek/Lee in the SF and now they faced the Japanese pair Matsumoto and Nagahara. Over three big sets their will to win, their strategy and their fitness saw them grab the title, igniting anticipation from fans for the years ahead.

2RW1KFF Hong Kong, China. 15th Sep, 2023. Pearly Tan, Thinaah Muralitharan of Malaysia.
(Credit Image: © Ben Lau/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire) From Alamy

It’s interesting to remember the challenges Thinaah faced leading up to the tournament; training solo while Pearly recovered from a hamstring injury. Injuries and the risk of injury poses a significant obstacle to this pair’s progress. Since winning Gold at the Commonwealth Games in August 2022 and their later victory in Paris later that year consistently maintaining peak fitness has been a struggle. Beyond the impact upon tournament participation, it disrupts training and overall progression.

WD at the Tokyo Olympics was probably the last hurrah for the “War of Attrition” style. Greysia Polii excelled at endurance, and she stepped on court with experience of the Olympics . T&T’s style could be seen as the natural antidote to long rallies. At their most effective they bring a fizzy counterpoint to the court. Thinaah gives a good foundation to the pair with her defensive vision. Pearly is liberated to use her creativity and go hunting for points.

However, their recent match at BATC against the Indonesian pair Mayasari/Sugiarto was marked by mistakes and hesitancy suggesting they haven’t hit their stride yet in the journey to Olympic qualification. Perhaps the fear of injury has tempered their style and relish for competition.

It’s vital that they avoid stagnating. Reports suggest that Rexy Mainaky has arranged for them to spar with men in training recognizing a gap in standards with the other WD. Lately they have seemed a bit vulnerable to sustained attack – lacking the strategic resilience to break their opponent’s rhythm. Intensified training may offer a solution to this and bolster their competitive edge.

Olympic expectations were high when they were ranked at 5 at the start of 2023. They have slipped a little, but they haven’t suddenly become bad players. They lost their momentum owing to injury so now – if they can both stay fit- there is still time to arrive in Paris with a renewed optimism. Their path to the Olympics has been full of difficulties so far. Yet with resilience and determination, the support of coaches and fans they can step on court to chase their dreams.

If you’re a fan of Malaysian Badminton take a look at https://shuttlehard.com/ and also https://badmintoniacs.wordpress.com/ .

Thanks to Rene Biaoli and the vast community of Malaysian Badminton fans for observations and shared ideas.

Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan: Players of the Day.

Pearly Tan & Thinaah Muralitharan seemed destined for a two-set exit at the Axiata Arena today but then something extraordinary happened.

By the middle of the second set the two Malaysians were struggling to get any sort of foothold in the match. Fukushima and Hirota were consistently winning rallies as they ensnared their opponents in a war of attrition. They were repeatedly sending up big clears, extending rallies and targeting a visibly exhausted Pearly for point after point.

Suddenly something shifted. The fans detected a glimmer of…something… and a resistance was born. Intelligently Tan & Thinaah called the Japanese bluff and turned their strategy back on them. Perhaps the exertions of last week’s Sudirman cup started to be felt. Incredibly they managed to level the scores and then held on under incredible pressure to force a decider.

The third set began horrifically for PearThin and I suspected that they had given too much to stay in the match. They were 1-6 down before they managed to start clawing their way back into the tie. There was a mesmerizing rhythm to the exchanges. The Malaysian pair kept prolonging the rallies and Hirota especially was put under immense stress. Between them, FukuHiro misjudged the baseline 5 times in the first half of the last set and Tan/Thinaah seized their chance.

All four athletes were tired, seemingly functioning on muscle memory as they fought from point to point. All four should be proud of their resilience and desire. But with the score deadlocked on 12-12 Pearly – completely depleted – summoned up some last energy and scored a big point at the net: 13-12.

The duo who never give up just didn’t give up. The lucky spectators at the Perodua Malaysia Masters were treated to an exhibition of resilience, teamwork and spirit with touches of brilliance at key moments. They closed out the final set 21-16. What a day for Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan, fantastic! That was a GAME.

If you enjoyed this take a look at my old article about Tan/Thinaah. It needs an update but it’s still fun to read https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2021/11/21/pearly-tan-thinaah-muralitharan/ or this one about FukuHiro https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2021/08/27/yuki-and-sayaka-at-the-olympics/

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Pearly Tan & Thinaah Muralitharan

2021 has been a breakout year for this young and exciting Malaysian pair. Their dynamism and tenacity have won them plenty of new fans over the past twelve months because they have been seriously challenging players ahead of them in the rankings

At the Indonesia Masters. Screengrab courtesy BWF

When they were at junior level, they were not WD partners unlike many of their current rivals. They have competitive familiarity across the sectors but the main factor significant to their current style of play is the influence of XD as the pair have both got experience in this discipline. Their bold approach to matches is refreshing and I sense that there is a shift happening away from the more traditional, old fashioned neutral play towards tactics that allow players to take the initiative in a match.

Their performance in the first round at the Toyota Thailand Open was an “aha moment” for fans and analysts. It was an exhilarating contest packed full of drama. After losing the first set they levelled then refused to concede the third. It was simply gripping. They were down 18-20, saved four match points and eventually won 27-25. It was an 87 minute white knuckle ride where they kept their focus and eventually earned victory.

As a pair they are keen to disrupt their rivals rhythms with intelligent use of angled shots. Thinaah has a strong front court game and both can unleash some power. Naturally they are good defenders but it’s the intensity and pace of their attack that enables them to seize command with flat drives and effectively screw down on their opponents.

Their first world tour title win at the 2021 Swiss Open was confirmation that they are on the right track. A straight set victory over the quintessence of defensive WD – the Stoeva sisters – felt like a shot of adrenaline to the heart of the discipline. It was proof that the partnership has raised their game over the past couple of years.

These two athletes are possible stars of the future and are part of the generational shift following Tokyo 2020. They still have a lot of hard work to do if they want to move up to the consistent standards set in Women’s Doubles by the Japanese pairs. It was revealing that in their recent Indonesian Master’s game against Matsuyama/Shida they were carried along by the momentum of the Japanese attack without really being able to derail it and they were beaten in two sets. They must have more tactical options if Plan A is not successful.

“You’ll see us fail, I guarantee it. But you will never see us quit”
Thinaah Muralitharan on her Instagram

It’s exciting to watch a pair with a fresh approach. They are ‘work in progress’ but they have the potential to keep moving up the rankings and can aim to be top 10 players. Their spirit and gritty resolve mean that they can frighten any opponent so they can regard the future with hope and optimism. I can’t wait to see how they meet the challenges of the next couple of years.

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