KUALA LUMPUR – Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah extended their blistering form this season with another dominant performance, cruising past Japan’s world No. 6 pair Rin Iwanaga and Kei Nakanishi 21-7, 21-9 to claim the Arctic Open Super 500 title today.
The world No. 2 Malaysians needed just 32 minutes to secure their second title of the year, adding to their Thailand Open triumph in May.
The win also reinforced their dominance over the Japanese duo, marking their sixth victory in eight meetings.
It has been a year defined by consistency for Pearly and Thinaah, who have reached the quarter-finals or better in nearly every tournament they’ve entered.
They finished as runners-up at the Indonesia Masters, Indonesia Open, and Japan Open, as well as the BWF World Championships — solidifying their reputation as one of the world’s most in-form pairs.
Their surge in form coincides with the new contracts they signed with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) earlier this season.
The fresh deals, which reaffirmed their commitment to the national setup, seem to have brought renewed focus and confidence to their game.
Women’s doubles head coach Rosman Razak praised the pair’s disciplined display, saying they executed their game plan with precision and patience.
“Today they played calmly and followed every plan that was laid out,” he said briefly to Scoop.
“They focused on controlling the rallies with quality placements and didn’t rush their attacks. Their defensive play was also at a very high level.”
Rosman credited their strong mutual trust as a key factor in their success.
“The main key is always their belief in each other. Hopefully, they can maintain this momentum,” he added.
He also noted that the duo will have two days to recover before their next tournament, the Denmark Open, which begins Tuesday.
While the Arctic Open is not among the sport’s biggest titles, the victory marks another milestone — Pearly and Thinaah are now the first Malaysian women’s doubles pair to win the tournament, further cementing their standing among the world’s best. — October 12, 2025