Pearly Tan and Thinaah face familiar rivals Matsuyama and Shida in Japan Open semi-final
In the quarter-finals on Friday, Tan and Thinaah remained composed to secure a 21-15, 21-19 victory over South Korea's Jeong Na-eun and Lee Yeon-woo in 55 minutes at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, as reported by The Star.
The world No. 3 pair will now face the formidable Matsuyama and Shida, currently ranked world No. 2, who fought back to defeat South Korea's Kim Hye-jeong and Kong Hee-yong 19-21, 21-19, 21-18, advancing to the semi-finals.
Tan and Thinaah have struggled against the Japanese pair in their previous encounters, having won just once in their last 14 meetings.
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