Rosman's tactical tweaks elevate Pearly-Thinaah's game

National women's doubles shuttlers Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah in action against China's Jia Yifan-Zhang Shuxian in the semi-final match of Malaysian Masters at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil on Saturday. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
PETALING JAYA: Tactical tweaks under coach Rosman Razak are slowly but surely elevating women's doubles shuttlers Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah's game.
Rosman replaced Hoon Thien How as the women's doubles head coach in the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) last November and has been working hard to turn the national No. 1 pair into a more consistent duo.
And the work is starting to pay dividends as Pearly-Thinaah made it into their first ever World Tour Super 1000 final in the Indonesian Open.
The world No. 4 pair went down fighting 25-23, 12-21, 19-21 to China's world No. 1 Liu Shengshu-Tan Ning at the Istora Senayan in Jakarta yesterday but showed clear improvement after failing to even reach the last four in a Super 1000 tourney before this.
Despite competing in their fourth straight tournament, Pearly-Thinaah managed to battle hard until the end against the formidable Chinese duo before losing by the narrowest of margins.
The pair are also becoming more consistent and managed to keep up their intensity after capturing the Thailand Open title last month.
Pearly-Thinaah made it into the Malaysian Masters semi-finals and Singapore Open quarter-finals before achieving the personal milestone in Indonesia.
Rosman believes his charges' performance over the last four weeks has been all the more commendable as the pair have not let external issues distract them.
Pearly-Thinaah face an uncertain future in BAM as their contracts expired last December and they are still yet to sign new deals.
"A lot has happened over these past four weeks. Although, sometimes Pearly-Thinaah have not performed to their best but their willingness to try and adapt to tactical tweaks has brought a lot of positive changes," said Rosman.
"Their communication on court has also been very good and helped them a lot especially when they have been under pressure.
"We have been trying new strategies on court and while there have been plenty of positives, there is still room for improvement."
RESULTS
Finals
Men's singles: Anders Antonsen (Den) bt Chou Tien-chen (Tpe) 22-20, 21-14.
Men's doubles: Kim Won-ho-Seo Seung-jae (Kor) bt Sabar Gutama-Moh Reza (Ina) 18-21, 21-19, 21-12.
Women's singles: An Se-young (Kor) bt Wang Zhiyi (Chn) 13-21, 21-19, 21-15.
Women's doubles: Liu Shengshu-Tan Ning (Chn) bt Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah (Mas) 23-25, 21-12, 21-19.
Mixed doubles: Thom Gicquel-Delphine Delrue (Fra) bt Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Supissara Paewsampran (Tha) 21-16, 21-18.
Semi-finals
Men's singles: Anders Antonsen (Den) bt Shi Yuqi (Chn) 9-21, 21-18, 21-19; Chou Tien-chen (Tpe) bt Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Tha) 21-16, 23-21.
Men's doubles: Sabar Gutama-Moh Reza (Ina) bt Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun (Mas) 21-18, 12-21, 21-18; Kim Won-ho-Seo Seung-jae (Kor) bt Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto (Ina) 21-18, 19-21, 23-21.

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Malaysia Sun

30 minutes ago

Malaysia Sun

Chinese shuttlers win women's doubles at 2025 Indonesia Open

Xinhua 08 Jun 2025, 18:45 GMT+10 JAKARTA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese shuttlers Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning won gold in the women's doubles on Sunday at the 2025 Indonesia Open, while Wang Zhiyi claimed silver in the women's singles. The Chinese pair triumphed over Malaysia's Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan in a three-set thriller, 23-25, 21-12, 21-19. Meanwhile, women's singles world No. 2 Wang secured the silver medal after falling to Paris Olympic champion An Se-young of South Korea. The final was full of rallies that tested the nerves and stamina of both players, ending with a scoreline of 13-21, 21-19, 21-15. The 2025 Indonesia Open was held at Istora Senayan Stadium in Jakarta, with total prize money amounting to 1.45 million U.S. dollars.

[Watch] Hearts Over Hardware: Pearly-Thinaah's Glorious Defeat In Indonesia Open 2025

Rakyat Post

3 hours ago

Rakyat Post

[Watch] Hearts Over Hardware: Pearly-Thinaah's Glorious Defeat In Indonesia Open 2025

Subscribe to our FREE Sometimes losing feels a lot like winning, and Malaysia's badminton darlings Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah just proved exactly that at the Indonesia Open 2025. The dynamic duo fell short of their maiden Super 1000 title dream, succumbing to world number one Chinese pair Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning in a nail-biting three-set thriller that had everyone on the edge of their seats. Final score: 25-23, 12-21, 19-21. But here's the thing about great defeats—they sometimes shine brighter than hollow victories. After bulldozing through Li Yi Jing and Luo Xu Min in the semifinals, the Thailand Open champions walked into Sunday's final carrying the hopes of a nation that hadn't seen a women's doubles champion at this tournament since Chin Ee Hui and Wong Pei Tty claimed glory back in 2009. The match was pure theatre. Pearly-Thinaah stumbled early in the first set, trailing 6-11 before clawing back to level at 16-16. What followed was badminton at its most brutal and beautiful—two pairs trading blows until Malaysia's finest edged ahead 25-23. The Heartbreak Set: When Dreams Meet Reality The second set belonged to the Chinese world beaters, who surged to a commanding 14-8 lead and never looked back, closing out 21-12 to force a decider. The final set was where legends are made and hearts are broken. Pearly-Thinaah found their rhythm again, leading 10-7, but sport has a cruel sense of timing. The scores locked at 15-15, and from there it became a test of nerves as much as skill. In the end, experience trumped ambition by the narrowest of margins—21-19 to the Chinese pair. When the Nation Speaks 'Malaysia is proud of both of you,' perfectly captured the national sentiment, while others emphasised the quality of the opposition. It's okay, Pearly/Thinaah, what's important is that you fought, and you weren't facing ordinary opponents. The drama had fans literally on the edge of cardiac arrest, with comments about 'almost having a heart attack watching' flooding the feeds. Some couldn't help but notice how hard-fought the victory was for the Chinese pair: 'The Chinese pair really had to sweat to win today.' The cruel timing wasn't lost on supporters either: 'Already leading 9-4 in the third set… just wasn't meant to be.' But the optimism shone through: 'Excellent, if they play like this, there's hope for an Olympic medal.' Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah share a heartwarming moment with fans during a meet-and-greet session by Etihad Airways at the Axiata Arena during the recent Perodua Malaysia Masters 2025. The duo's approachable nature and connection with supporters continue to endear them to badminton enthusiasts across the nation. (Pix: Fernando Fong) The Bigger Picture Sure, they didn't get the trophy. But the In a sport where margins are measured in millimetres and milliseconds, they proved they belong at the very top table. The fans' reaction says it all—this wasn't a defeat that deflated a nation, but a performance that elevated it. When your 'loss' generates more pride than most victories, you know you've achieved something remarkable. Sometimes the real victory isn't the hardware you take home—it's the hearts you win along the way. READ MORE : Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.

Antonsen, An Se-young Win Indonesia Open 2025 Titles

The Sun

4 hours ago

The Sun

Antonsen, An Se-young Win Indonesia Open 2025 Titles

BADMINTON world number three Anders Antonsen clinched his first Indonesia Open title on Sunday after beating Chou Tien-chen of Taiwan, while South Korea's An Se-young won her second championship in Jakarta. The 28-year-old Dane sank world number seven Chou at the Indonesian capital's Istora Senayan arena, winning 22-20, 21-14 in a 60-minute match to secure the prestigious Super 1000 event. Antonsen came out on top in a tightly contested first game before cruising to victory in the second. The Danish shuttler said he was thrilled to win the Indonesia Open title but declared he was 'hungry for more' trophies. 'I'm winning a Super 1000, one of the absolute biggest tournaments of the year,' Antonsen told reporters. 'It's incredible. I'm so grateful for how this place has changed my life many, many times.' In a more closely fought women's singles final, South Korean ace and world number one An fought back from one game down to beat China's Wang Zhi Yi in three games. She beat her Chinese rival 13-21, 21-19, 21-15 in 81 minutes. An, the 2024 Olympic gold medallist, said she was 'happy' to win another Indonesia Open title after securing her first in 2021. 'It was a weird game, a difficult game. But fortunately, I can find my own confidence and never gave up,' An told reporters through an interpreter. French mixed doubles pair Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue triumphed against Thailand's Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran. The pair, ranked 10th in the world, beat the sixth-ranked Thai pair 21-16, 21-18 in a 48-minute match, securing France's first Super 1000 title.