Selangor Journal
National badminton players M. Thinaah (front) and Pearly Tan (back) in action during their match against Japanese players Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara, during the final round of the French Open 2022, at the Stade Pierre de Coubertine in Paris, France, on October 30, 2022. — Picture by FACEBOOK/BADMINTON ASSOCIATION OF MALAYSIA – BAM

Pearly – Thinaah’s tactical savviness ushers in a new era in women’s doubles scene — Kien Keat

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 — Tactical savviness resembling the men’s doubles game shown by national leading women’s doubles pair, Pearly Tan – M. Thinaah, has ushered in new era in women’s badminton for Malaysia.

That was the reaction of former national men’s doubles badminton player Koo Kien Keat, after the victory of the 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallists who ended a 113-year title drought by winning at the French Open badminton tournament at Stade Pierre de Coubertine in Paris, last night.

The unseeded pair upset fourth seeds and two-time world champions Mayu Matsumoto – Wakana Nagahara of Japan 21 – 19, 18 – 21, 21 – 15 in the final, thus becoming the first Malaysian women’s doubles pair to win the French Open title.

“I think this pair is the first Malaysian women’s doubles (pair) who have overall skill set. Their tactical play witnesses a new era of badminton in women’s doubles which is somewhat similar to that of men’s doubles.

“Both can play at the back and in front, that is why I think this pair is outstanding,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.

Koo said credit is also due to the Badminton Association of Malaysia’s (BAM) coaching staff in organising the strategy in the journey of the duo so as to be able to build the character of ‘champions’ when on the court.

However, he said the journey of the pair, who are respectively 22 years old (Pearly) and 24 years old (Thinaah), has just begun and that pairs from other countries will ‘put them under a microscope’ after this.

Koo also reminded the world’s 11th ranked pair to continue to try to increase their level of confidence when performing on the court, regardless of the opponents they will face.

“Not only training, but the mindset also needs to be right. For example, we can see how famed Japanese singles player Kento Momota is losing continuously, has lost confidence and lost his own game style. So from now on the mindset has to remain positive and they must trust each other,” he said.

Koo is confident the pair have matured and are more experienced to face future “battles” to achieve more international-level victories.

The win was Pearly – Thinaah’s second championship title and their biggest success in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour series after winning the Swiss Open in March last year.

The closest a Malaysian women’s doubles pair got to the French Open title was in 2008 when Wong Pei Tty – Chin Eei Hui emerged as runners-up.

The French Open is a BWF Super 750 World Tour event, a level three tournament that offers prize money of US$49,950 (about RM235,000) for the doubles winner and US$23,625 (about RM111,000) for the runners-up, in addition to BWF ranking points.

— Bernama

 

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