
Pearly-Thinaah cruise into 2nd round of China Open
PETALING JAYA : Malaysia's top women's doubles pair, Pearly Tan-M Thinaah, cruised into the second round of the China Open after easily seeing off compatriots Ong Xin Yi-Carmen Ting in straight games tonight.
Pearly-Thinaah took just 24 minutes to defeat their teenage rivals 21-8, 21-12, Utusan Malaysia reported.
They will face Japan's Rui Hirokami-Sayaka Hobara in the next round.
Also progressing to the second round were world 22 pair Go Pei Kee-Teoh Mei Xing, who swept aside Poland's Paulina Hankiewicz-Kornelia Marczak 21-5, 21-6 in 22 minutes.
Pei Kee-Mei Xing will face much tougher opponents when they meet world No 8 pair Rin Iwanaga-Kie Nakanishi of Japan next.
Men's doubles pair Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun also progressed by defeating fellow Malaysians Yap Roy King-Wan Arif Junaidi 21-17, 21-16.
They will face another Malaysian pair, Nur Azriyn Ayub-Tan Wee Kiong, which guarantees Malaysia a spot in the quarter-finals.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New Straits Times
35 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Pearly-Thinaah are Rexy's blueprint for inconsistent Tang Jie-Ee Wei
KUALA LUMPUR: National coaching director Rexy Mainaky believes Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah's growing maturity as a women's doubles pair holds a valuable lesson for mixed doubles Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei. World No. 3 Tang Jie-Ee Wei briefly split earlier this year before reuniting at the Singapore Open in June. Since then, they've made three semi-final appearances — at the Indonesia Open, Japan Open and Macau Open — and reached the quarter-finals of the China Open. Ahead of the World Championships in Paris (Aug 26-Sept 1), Rexy has urged them to rebuild trust and chemistry — much like world No. 2 Pearly and Thinaah, who never split despite going through a rocky patch of their own. Pearly-Thinaah's relationship hit choppy waters in late 2023 when the pair were visibly not communicating during a match. But they ironed out their differences and climbed to a career-best No. 2 ranking, reaching seven World Tour finals in the past 12 months and claiming two titles. "Pearly-Thinaah also had their problems," said Rexy. "Before this, Pearly didn't seem to accept Thinaah's unforced errors. But now she's learned to live with them — and look at their consistency today. "It's about acceptance. Players are human. You can't just press a button and expect perfection. "If you want to succeed as a pair, you must accept your partner's weaknesses and help them through the tough moments." Rexy said Tang Jie-Ee Wei still show signs of mental fragility under pressure — particularly when matches don't go their way early on. "They can play well when things are smooth, but when opponents fight back or it gets tight, you can see panic creeping in," he said. "This isn't about technique. It's mindset. They need to ask themselves — what are we here for? Are we aligned? Are we ready to fight as a team?" The Indonesian-born coach, known for his straight-talking style, added that the coaching staff can only do so much with tactics and drills — the rest is up to the players. "You can't fix this by working on net play or rotation drills," he said. "The key lies in their thinking."They need to fully accept each other and be in sync — otherwise all their preparation won't mean much." In Paris, Malaysian shuttlers will be gunning for a second world title following Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik's historic men's doubles victory in Tokyo in 2022. Malaysia have never won a medal in the women's doubles. The last time Malaysia reached the mixed doubles podium was in 2006, when Koo Kien Keat-Wong Pei Tty claimed bronze in Madrid. With Tang Jie-Ee Wei and Pearly-Thinaah spearheading the challenge in those events, Rexy hopes both pairs can turn lessons from past struggles into podium success.

Malay Mail
17 hours ago
- Malay Mail
FOMO fuels pickleball craze as Malaysians seek fun path to fitness
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 — If you're an avid social media user, chances are you've come across videos of friends or celebrities playing a unique sport that combines elements of ping pong, badminton, and tennis — known as pickleball. This activity has been gaining popularity, even among those who initially had little interest in sports but eventually got hooked due to the psychological phenomenon known as the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO). According to Norezzati Md Hanafiah, a psychologist at Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Hospital, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), FOMO — often linked to social pressure or unhealthy lifestyle habits — can actually be used positively, including to encourage a more active lifestyle. She explained that from a psychological perspective, this drive is closely tied to the human instinct to be accepted within a social group, which is essential for emotional well-being. In the context of pickleball or other light sports, FOMO can turn into a positive motivator. 'One might start as a spectator, then develop an interest in trying it out, which can become a turning point toward adopting a healthier lifestyle. If handled properly, FOMO can spark healthy habits that spread widely within a community,' she said. Beyond physical benefits, pickleball also contributes to mental health through its relaxed and fun social aspects — enhancing mood, providing ongoing motivation, and offering social therapy for those dealing with work stress or burnout. Players looking at pickleball equipments. — Bernama pic According to Norezzati, the approach to health promotion is evolving, with a greater focus on the fun-first concept, as seen in pickleball. This makes physical activity enjoyable and more effective than approaches that emphasise beauty or weight loss. 'When an activity is seen as fun rather than a burden, people are more likely to stick with it. This makes a healthy lifestyle something to enjoy rather than something to be forced into,' she said, adding that social media plays a major role in spreading the trend and creating a wave of normalisation that encourages more people to try it without feeling embarrassed or self-conscious. Pickleball is also the sport of choice for national hockey legend Datuk Mirnawan Nawawi, 53, who was drawn to the game's unique, low-impact nature, making it suitable for all age groups. 'I find pickleball to be perfect for maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle. Previously, I only did brisk walking and went to the gym for workouts,' said Mirnawan, who has been actively playing since mid-last year. As the owner of Pickleball Playground in Shah Alam, he also encourages participation among youth under the age of 18, seeing their potential as future athletes who could elevate the sport to greater heights. Mirnawan also described pickleball as a wallet-friendly and accessible sport, noting that with court rental fees ranging from RM50 to RM70 per hour — usually split among several players — and minimal equipment requirements, the sport is suitable for people from all walks of life. 'In residential areas, for instance, the community or management could make use of and modify existing badminton or basketball courts slightly, so residents can play for free and enjoy a variety of recreational sports,' he said. — Bernama


Malay Mail
a day ago
- Malay Mail
Spurs captain Son bids emotional goodbye in front of 65,000 fans in Seoul
SEOUL, Aug 4 — Departing Tottenham captain Son Heung-min was in tears and his teammates threw him in the air on an emotional evening in his native South Korea yesterday. Spurs drew 1-1 with Newcastle in a pre-season friendly in Seoul but that was secondary to the farewell for the 33-year-old attacker. There was also the sorry sight of James Maddison being stretchered off with what manager Thomas Frank said 'was most likely a bad injury' to his knee. In what could have been his final game for the north Londoners, Son played 65 minutes but did not score at Seoul World Cup Stadium, a day after announcing his decision to leave Tottenham this summer after a decade. He left the pitch to a thunderous ovation from nearly 65,000 fans, hugging his teammates and even his opponents. The South Korea captain was caught offside twice in the early going, as his teammates tried to create opportunities for him, but he did not really assert himself on the match otherwise. Son was replaced in the 65th minute by Mohammed Kudus and he walked off in tears as thousands of fans chanted his name. 'I didn't think I was going to cry at first,' Son said. 'But after hearing a few words from my teammates, leaving the club I've spent so much time with felt really tough. 'I felt really, really happy playing this match. Thanks to my fans, my teammates and also my opponents, I've had an unforgettable day.' Son, who has been linked with LAFC in Major League Soccer, declined to reveal his next destination, saying: 'Nothing has been finalised.' Frank said he enjoyed the 'unbelievable, beautiful scenes' Son had with players from both sides on his way off the pitch. Newcastle boss Eddie Howe said his players' reaction to the end of Son's night had not been planned. 'I think it was very instinctive from the players,' Howe said. 'I think that speaks volumes for him as a person and him as a footballer that both teams recognise the way he's played the game.' Brennan Johnson's right-footed strike opened the scoring for Tottenham in the fourth minute, and the Welsh forward paid homage to Son by mimicking the South Korean star's camera celebration. Harvey Barnes levelled in the 38th minute, beating Antonin Kinsky with a right-footed shot that went in off the post. — AFP