Tan-Thinaah need to be faster to change game plan after China exit
PETALING JAYA: Women's doubles shuttlers Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah believe they need to be faster to change strategies during matches if they hope to win the biggest titles.
Yesterday, Pearly-Thinaah's hopes of reaching back-to-back finals were dashed after they went down 14-21, 17-21 to home pair Jia Yifan-Zhang Shuxian in the China Open last four at the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium in Changzhou.
The world No. 3 pair had finished runners-up to another Chinese duo, world No. 1 Liu Shengshu-Tan Ning in the Japan Open in Tokyo last week and were aiming to get another shot at a title but could not raise their game against world No. 7 Yifan-Shuxian and lost in just 38 minutes.
Pearly-Thinaah have found the pair tough to beat in the past, only coming out on top once in their past four meetings and again could not find a solution to overcome their rivals.
The duo, who were left disappointed after the defeat, felt that Yifan-Shuxian handled the tricky court conditions better and they needed to learn from this.
'The Chinese pair's strategy worked well today (yesterday). They controlled the shuttle well despite the draught on court,' said Pearly in a post-match interview with the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
'In the second game, we tried to implement a new strategy when playing against the draught.
'We did well towards the end but it was too late. We have to learn from this and we hope to change our game play quicker next time.'
Despite the defeat, it has still been a positive outing for Pearly-Thinaah as it was only the second time that the pair have progressed into the last four in a World Tour Super 1000 competition after their breakthrough in the Indonesian Open in Jakarta last month where they reached the final before losing narrowly to Shengshu-Tan Ning.
While happy with their overall improvement, Pearly-Thinaah know that they still have work to do to win the biggest titles.
With the World Championships coming up next for them from Aug 25-31 in Paris, the pair are keen to become sharper in time for the showpiece event.
'Over these past two weeks, the momentum that we have going into the court is something that we are really looking forward to and we are really happy about,' said Thinaah.
'There's a lot of positive lessons for us no matter win or lose, we got a lot of experience from these two tournaments.
'But there's still things to improve for both of us.
'We hope to go back, work on these and get better for the World Championships.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
29 minutes ago
- The Star
No place for hooliganism, violence in sports, says Anwar
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has stressed that there is no room for hooliganism or violence in sports, particularly football, as such behaviour goes against the spirit of sportsmanship. The Prime Minister said sports should serve as a unifying force among Malaysians of all backgrounds and must not be tainted by unruly or divisive conduct. "Everyone supports their team or their state or their province, but that does not allow them to create chaos and tolerate hooliganism. So we'll make a difference. Don't import that culture of hooliganism in sports as you read and see and watch on television from the experience of other countries," he said in a speech during the groundbreaking ceremony of Olympic House here, Thursday (Aug 7). Also present was Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh. Anwar said while passion in sports was natural, it should not be used to justify behaviour that contradicted the values of sportsmanship. "People cry when they win and they cry when they lose. You know, which means you cannot deny the passion. But it does not warrant them to take actions which run contrary to the spirit of sportsmanship," he said. He added that greater tolerance was needed, as "intolerance runs contrary to the very spirit of sports - which is about bringing people together, embracing differences, and sharing a deep passion." Anwar also highlighted the unique role of sportsmanship in uniting Malaysians across racial lines, noting that such values were often absent in politics. "There's no language in politics for sportsmanship. Politics is where you kill one another - I mean, not literally, hopefully. But only in sports, not in culture, not in the arts, not in economic rivalry. "But in sports, there is this term called sportsmanship, which essentially means you must work hard, try to excel and win - but also accept that the best man, woman, or team will win. And that is the spirit of sportsmanship," he said. Reflecting on Malaysia's past, which was at times marked by racial antagonism, Anwar recalled how sports like football and badminton served as powerful unifying forces during those difficult periods. "It doesn't matter whether he's Malay, Chinese, Dayak or Indian - we consider them all Malaysian. And that's what I feel we need to promote. But of course, we also need to excel. "So everybody's waiting - under Hannah and now with Norza (Olympic Council of Malaysia president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria) - where we expect at least one gold medal from the Olympics. Otherwise, they'll be in trouble," he said jokingly. Sharing a personal anecdote, Anwar said he often advised his grandchildren, who sometimes got upset after losing in games like chess or football. "I said, I told them that's not the spirit. The spirit of course, is to win, but the sportsmanship, the the term sportsmanship is such a value-laden term. You do try your best, you try and excel, but you accept it (loss) in a sportsman's fashion," he added. - Bernama
New Straits Times
29 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
'Others must fight for world title, not just Aaron-Wooi Yik'
KUALA LUMPUR: Men's pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik won't be at the top forever and the others must step up. While Malaysia will continue to bank on former world champions and Olympic bronze medallists Aaron-Wooi Yik at the world meet on Aug 25-31 in Paris, Rexy Mainaky has urged their national teammates to share the responsibility in the fight for honours. The national doubles coaching director said while he still has much faith in world No. 2 Aaron-Wooi Yik, he wants the other BAM pairs — world No. 7 Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun and world No. 22 Wan Arif Junaidi-Yap Roy King — to aim for the title too. Malaysia are the only country with four pairs, including independents Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, the world No. 3, besides the three BAM pairs, at the World Championships. Rexy said it's not about Malaysia having the numbers, but more importantly, their players must have the champion's mindset. He feels that South Korea's world No. 1 Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae are still the favourites in Paris, even though they lost to Fajar Alfian-Shohibul Fikri in the China Open quarter-finals last month. The Indonesians went on to win the title, beating Aaron-Wooi Yik. "Aaron-Wooi Yik are not going to be champions forever. So, all our pairs must do their part to fight for the title at the World Championships," said Rexy. He said the fact that Won Ho-Seung Jae lost to Fajar-Shohibul at the China Open means the current level at the top is about the same. "We have four pairs, but this doesn't mean we will secure the title. It's not about the numbers nor the training alone. "It's the players' mindset — to ensure every detail including avoiding illness and injuries, diet, and proper rest — that will be crucial towards success in Paris." Rexy pointed out that Seung Jae and his former partner, Kang Min Hyuk, were rated as the best after winning the 2023 world title in Copenhagen, but their partnership broke up after they failed to win a medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. "People used to say Min Hyuk-Seung Jae were the best, but what has happened now? They have been split and this shows nothing is permanent. "All our pairs are on equal terms with other top pairs and we have to be ready to battle with rivals from South Korea, China, Indonesia and Japan."
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Rexy believes all men's pairs at World C'ships evenly matched
Malaysia men's doubles shuttlers Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik in action against South Korea's Kim Young-hyuk-Wang Chan during the first round of Malaysian Masters at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil on Wednesday. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star PETALING JAYA: There are no clear favourites in the men's doubles in the World Championships from Aug 25-31 in Paris. And national doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky believes that all the pairs competing in the world meet are evenly matched. Based on form so far this year, South Korea's world No. 1 Seo Seung-jae-Kim Won-ho and Malaysia's world No. 2 Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik are among the favourites for the title but Rexy is not counting out the other pairs. "No pair can win all the time. If you see in the China Open last month, Seung-jae-Won-ho and Aaron-Wooi Yik were beaten by Indonesia's scratch pair Fajar Alfian-Shohibul Fikri, who then won the title," said Rexy. "All the pairs have an equal chance to win the gold in the World Championships. It comes down to which pair prepares the best for the tournament." Rexy also pointed out that Seung-jae, who will be the defending champion after capturing the title in the last edition in 2023 in Copenhagen, was no longer playing together with his partner at that time Kang Min-hyuk - showing that no pair has managed to remain consistent. "When Seung-jae won the gold with Min-hyuk in 2023, everyone were saying they were very strong," said Rexy. "But now, they have split up. This shows that no pair can be very consistent. "For me, staying hungry is very important. Players need to have the hunger to keep winning." Rexy is hoping to guide one of the Malaysian pairs under him to the title. Besides Aaron-Wooi Yik, the other Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) pairs that have qualified for the prestigious meet are world No. 7 Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun and world No. 22 Yap Roy King-Wan Arif Wan Junaidi. They will be joined by world No. 3 independent duo Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani. Rexy believes the pairs have to be diligent about not just their on-court preparations but also what they need to do off it to enhance their chances of success in Paris. "For me, it's not just about preparing on technique or strategy but staying healthy before the tournament is also very important," said Rexy. "Our players need to eat and sleep well. They have to warm up and cool down properly before and after training sessions and matches to avoid injuries."
