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[UPDATED] Olympics: Pearly-Thinaah book quarters berth | Scoop
Pearly Tan (left) and M. Thinaah (right) went through to the quarters of badminton’s women’s doubles in the Paris Olympics. – Bernama pic, July 30, 2024
Sports

[UPDATED] Olympics: Pearly-Thinaah book quarters berth

Malaysia’s top women’s pair Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah made it to quarter-finals after beating Indonesia’s Apriyani Rahayu and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti

Main Author Image
Fabian Peter
Updated
5:18 PM MYT

 

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s top women’s doubles duo, Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, are through to the quarter-finals of the Paris Olympics.

In a nail-biting showdown at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena, the world number 12 duo prevailed with a sensational 21-18, 21-9 victory over Indonesia’s Apriyani Rahayu and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti, finishing second in Group A.

Deemed the ‘group of death’, Pearly and Thinaah admitted that they had never felt more pressured and stressed coming into a match.

Earlier, China’s world number one pair, Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan, aided Pearly and Thinaah by defeating Japan’s Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara 21-16, 21-15 to top the group.

In the first group tie, Pearly and Thinaah lost to the top-seeded China pair, before reviving their hopes for a place in the quarter-finals with a superb come-from-behind win over Matsumoto and Nagahara.

“We entered the court today feeling extremely nervous because it was a must-win match for us. In fact, we have been quite stressed since yesterday thinking about this tie. 

“We didn’t start too well, threw away points we shouldn’t have, but we supported each other and regained our momentum and confidence,” Thinaah told the Badminton World Federation (BWF).

Pearly also shared how Thinaah helped her calm her nerves, as she was the more anxious of the two players.

“This match was not just about us against our opponents, but it was also a battle with ourselves. Mentally, it was very hard. 

“In the first game, we made mistakes we shouldn’t have, especially me. Thinaah calmed me down, supported me, and that helped me overcome the nerves,” added Pearly.

Looking ahead, it remains to be seen who Pearly and Thinaah will face in the knockout stage, as the draw will only be conducted following the conclusion of all women’s doubles group matches. 

One thing for sure is they won’t have to face Qing Chen and Yi Fan in the quarter-finals since they are from the same group.

When asked if they were prepared for what lies ahead, and if they had any preference regarding their next opponents, Thinaah said: “I think we will go with the flow. Coming out of this group was already hard enough.”

For the record, Pearly and Thinaah are the first Malaysian women’s doubles pair to clear the Olympics group stages since Vivian Hoo and Woon Khe Wei reached the last eight at the 2016 Rio Games. – July 30, 2024

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