Pearly-Thinaah ease past Japanese duo to reach Thai Open final
National shuttlers Pearly Tan and M Thinaah have reached their second final of the season following the Indonesia Open in January. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA : National women's doubles pair Pearly Tan and M Thinaah advanced to the Thailand Open final with a convincing straight-games win over Japan's Rui Hirokami and Sayaka Hobara in Bangkok today.
The world No 4 duo took just 44 minutes to secure a 21-18, 21-12 victory, keeping alive their bid to become the first Malaysian women's doubles pair to win the tournament.
Pearly-Thinaah will face South Korea's Jeong Na Eun and Lee Yeon Woo in the final – a pair they defeated in their only previous meeting at the French Orleans Masters in March.
Despite being ranked world No 105, the South Korean pair have performed impressively in Bangkok in what is their first competitive outing.
For Pearly and Thinaah, this marks their second final of the season following their runner-up finish at the French Orleans Masters in March.
Winning the title is seen as crucial for the Malaysian duo especially as they face a key decision on whether to turn professional or remain under the Badminton Association of Malaysia.
The champions will take home US$37,525 (RM161,130) while the runners-up will receive US$18,050 (RM77,500).
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