KUALA LUMPUR — Despite putting up a brave fight, Pearly Tan admitted that her costly mistakes at the end of the match denied her and partner M. Thinaah their biggest career victory at the Super 1000 Indonesia Open today.
The world No. 4 women’s doubles duo were just three points away from glory but ultimately fell short to China’s world No. 1s Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning, who clawed their way back to win 23-25, 21-12, 21-19 at the Istora Senayan in Jakarta.
“I’m disappointed because the last two points were mistakes from me,” Pearly told the Badminton World Federation (BWF) after the match.
“From the start, I reminded myself to stay calm, but at 19-20 I rushed it. This is something I need to learn day by day. I still need time, and I hope I can be better in the future.”
The Malaysians, who were aiming to become only the second national women’s pair to win the prestigious tournament after Chin Eei Hui and Wong Pei Tty in 2009, looked in control after taking the first game.
But the Chinese pair kept their composure to turn the tide, especially in the deciding game when it went down to the wire.
“All four of us were tired—that’s why the points were so close towards the end,” Pearly added.
“Physically, not so much, but it became more of a mindset thing. They were calmer than us. Like I said, I made two silly mistakes at the end… but we’ll learn from this.”
Thinaah, meanwhile, credited their on-court communication as a key factor in keeping them in the fight.
“It’s the support we gave each other throughout the match that helped lift our spirits.
“Whether we were in the lead or not, we kept talking and encouraging one another—that was the main thing,” she said.
She added: “We were constantly reminding each other how to play, how to stay calm, and just enjoy every point. Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, you forget. So that communication was really important.”
Despite the heartbreak, Pearly and Thinaah will cherish their strong run in form in recent tournaments, especially after winning the Super 500 Thailand Open last month.
With the Indonesia Open now over, all eyes will be on Pearly and Thinaah’s next move; will they remain with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) or decide to go pro?
They are not expected to compete in any tournament until the Super 750 Japan Open next month. — June 8, 2025