KUALA LUMPUR — National women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah ended their bid for the 2026 India Open after losing in their semi-finals to Japanese pair, Yuki Fukushima-Mayu Matsumoto .
The match at Indira Gandhi Sports Complex saw Fukushima-Matsumoto beat Pearly-Thinaah 21-16, 21-13 in 46 minutes, thus preventing the second seeds of the tournament from advancing to the final.
Thinaah later said Fukushima-Matsumoto’s agility managed to weaken their defence which made the opponents’ attacks more effective.
“I think in this match, the opponents really put pressure on us through their attacks. This is something we need to pay attention to and be more vigilant, especially when the opponent plays at a faster tempo.
“At that time, we need to be more sensitive in defence, as well as being more aggressive and bolder in the game,” she told BWF after the end of the match today.
The defeat also saw Pearly-Thinaah repeat last year’s achievement of also being stranded in the semi-finals.
Pearly-Thinaah will next play in the Indonesian Masters at Istora Senayan, Jakarta from Tuesday with a clash with US pair, Francesca Corbett-Jennie Gai in the first round. – January 17, 2026