KUALA LUMPUR – National women’s doubles shuttlers Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah stormed into the final of the Indonesia Open in Jakarta this evening after defeating their Chinese opponents, marking their third final appearance of the season.
The world No. 4 pair, who clinched the Thailand Open title last month, had to battle for 63 minutes before overcoming Li Yi Jing-Luo Xu Min 12-21, 21-17, 21-11 in a match that saw them race to an 8-0 lead in the decider before emerging victorious.
An epic showdown now awaits Pearly-Thinaah in the final, where they will face either world No. 1 Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning of China or South Korea’s world No. 3 duo Baek Ha Na-Lee So Hee — both of whom have historically been tough opponents for the Malaysians.
Today’s win marks the third time Pearly-Thinaah will play in a final this season.
Their first final appearance also came at the Istora Stadium in Jakarta during the Indonesia Masters in January, where they lost to South Korea’s Kim Hye Jeong-Kong Hee Yong.
Pearly attributed the breakthrough victory to the pair’s patient approach.
“We kept reminding each other to be patient. We didn’t want to rush. We just wanted to enjoy the game, whether we won or lost,” Pearly told the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
“Our change in mindset was the turning point for us. We grew in confidence, and that helped us win today.”
The win meant a great deal for Pearly and Thinaah, especially after their past struggles to even reach the semi-finals of a Super 1000 tournament.
“Words can’t describe how happy we are today. After dropping the first game, we really supported each other and didn’t want to give up easily,” said Thinaah.
“I’m very thankful to Pearly for her accurate smashes. We’ve been encouraging each other a lot throughout this tournament and even before that. But today was a crucial moment — it wasn’t just about strategy, but also the mental and physical aspects.
“I’m truly grateful to have Pearly on my side.”
Pearly-Thinaah are looking to emulate the feat of 2009 champions Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty, the only Malaysian pair to have lifted the women’s doubles title at the Indonesia Open.
On their mindset heading into the final, Thinaah said: “We want to have a relaxed mind and stay calm.
“We need to remember each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and be patient.”
Having won the Super 500 Thailand Open last month, the pair are now gunning for their maiden Super 1000 title — an event that offers total prize money of US$1.45 million (RM6.13 million).
Pearly-Thinaah have won a total of four BWF World Tour titles so far.
Winners of the doubles events tomorrow will earn US$107,300 (RM452,289), while the runners-up will take home US$50,750 (RM214,520).
Semi-finalists will receive US$20,300 (RM85,898).
Meanwhile, in an earlier match, national mixed doubles shuttlers Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei fought their hearts out in the Indonesia Open semi-final but succumbed to in-form Thai pair Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Supissara Paewsampran in three games.
The Thai duo came from a game down to defeat the reunited Tang Jie-Ee Wei 21-23, 21-14, 21-11 in a match that lasted 65 minutes. – June 7, 2025