Rexy expects medal from Pearly-Thinaah at worlds
Pearly-Thinaah, currently ranked No. 3, will move up one rung when the weekly world rankings are released on Tuesday.
With no other major events before the Paris showpiece, the Malaysian duo are set to be seeded second — giving them a genuine shot at securing their first world medal.
"Breaking into the world No. 2 ranking is not easy. They had to battle against many top pairs from China, South Korea, and Japan. It really required extra effort and full commitment," said national doubles coaching director Rexy.
"This result (world No. 2 ranking) is not just about the players, it's teamwork from the management, coaches, support staff, and of course, the players themselves.
"I hope they can carry the confidence forward and bring a medal home from the World Championships," said Rexy.
In achieving the world No. 2 ranking, Pearly-Thinaah will thus avoid China's world No. 1 Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning in the draw, until the World Championships final.
But Pearly-Thinaah must be prepared to overcome China's world No. 7 Jia Yi Fan-Zhang Shu Xian — who hold a 4-1 head-to-head against the Malaysians — before the semi-finals.
Pearly-Thinaah have made their impact on the World Tour — winning the Thailand Open, finishing runners-up at the China and Japan Opens, and making the semi-finals at the Malaysia Masters and China Open.
Now, their world No. 2 ranking makes them strong contenders to finish on the World Championships podium.
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