Pearly-Thinaah must show character in bid for medal at World C'ships

New Straits Times

2 days ago

KUALA LUMPUR: Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah must guard against overconfidence at the World Championships, despite being second seeds, as several rivals are keen to derail their medal hopes in Paris.
The world No. 2 are seeded just behind world No. 1 Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning of China, but determined challengers like South Korea's Kim Hye Jeong-Kong Hee Yong and China's Jia Yi Fan-Zhang Shu Xian are poised to upset the form book and secure medals of their own.
Pearly-Thinaah's head-to-head records against fifth seeds Hye Jeong-Hee Yong (3-0) and sixth seeds Yi Fan–Shu Xian (4-1) don't favour the Malaysians, who face the risk of an early exit at the quarter-final stage.
Former national shuttler Datuk James Selvaraj urged the pair to show character and confidence to avoid becoming early casualties in Paris.
"It's good to see Pearly-Thinaah seeded second, but they must battle hard for a podium finish because the draw will be tough," said James.
"The Korean and Chinese pairs have better track records, but Pearly-Thinaah must be prepared to overcome the odds, especially in a possible last-eight clash.
"They have the quality to beat the top pairs, but must avoid conceding big leads, which make comebacks difficult, and reduce unforced errors.
"Avoiding the top seeds Sheng Shu-Tan Ning until the final is already a bonus that increases their medal chances.
"Pearly-Thinaah have played at the Adidas Arena during the Paris Olympics, which should boost their confidence for a podium finish."
Other top-eight pairs include Japan's third seeds Chiharu Shida-Nami Matsuyama, South Korea's fourth seeds Baek Ha Na-Lee So Hee, China's seventh seeds Li Yi Jing-Luo Xu Min, and Japan's eighth seeds Yuki Fukushima-Mayu Matsutomo.
At the Paris Olympics, Pearly-Thinaah lost the bronze-medal playoff to Shida-Matsuyama, but their current form suggests they have a strong chance to return from the Adidas Arena with a medal this time.