Hangzhou — Malaysia’s challenge at the 2025 BWF World Tour Finals came to an end on Saturday as both mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie / Toh Ee Wei and women’s doubles duo Pearly Tan / Thinaah Muralitharan were eliminated at the semi-final stage in Hangzhou.
Mixed Doubles: Chen/Toh Fall After Three-Game Battle
World No. 4 Chen Tang Jie/Toh Ee Wei saw their campaign come to a halt after a hard-fought three-game loss to China’s second-seeded pair Jiang Zhenbang / Wei Yaxin, going down 21-9, 11-21, 17-21 in a 58-minute semi-final encounter.
The defeat extended Chen/Toh’s head-to-head record against the Chinese duo to two wins from seven meetings, with Jiang/Wei now holding five victories.
Chen and Toh made a blistering start, dominating the opening game with aggressive front-court pressure and sharp interceptions that forced repeated errors from their opponents. However, momentum shifted dramatically in the second game as the Malaysians struggled with consistency, allowing Jiang/Wei to dictate play.
The deciding game was closely contested early on, but a run of unforced errors enabled the Chinese pair to pull away. Although Chen/Toh mounted a late push to narrow the gap, Jiang sealed the match with a decisive smash to confirm an all-China mixed doubles final.
Watch highlights of the match here:
The mixed doubles final will feature Jiang Zhenbang/Wei Yaxin against fellow Chinese pair Feng Yanzhe / Huang Dongping.
Women’s Doubles: Pearly/Thinaah Stopped Again by Japanese Pair
Malaysia’s top women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan were unable to continue their title push after losing 21-19, 21-13 to Japan’s Yuki Fukushima / Mayu Matsumoto in 61 minutes at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium.
It was a second consecutive defeat to the same Japanese duo, following their group-stage loss a day earlier.
The opening game saw both pairs locked in a tense exchange, with Pearly and Thinaah showing resilience to claw back from 15-19 to level at 19-19. However, the Japanese pair held their nerve to close out the game.
In the second game, Pearly/Thinaah briefly led 7-4, but a series of errors allowed Fukushima/Matsumoto to seize control. Targeting Pearly in extended rallies, the Japanese duo steadily built a commanding lead and sealed victory when a net shot from the Malaysian side fell short.
Women’s doubles final will be between Yuki Fukushima/Mayu Matsumoto of Japan vs. Baek Ha-na/Lee So-hee of South Korea.
Women’s singles final will be between South Korean An Se-young vs. Wang Zhiyi of China.
Positive Progress Despite Semi-Final Exit
Despite the disappointment, both Malaysian pairs can take encouragement from their performances. Pearly Tan/Thinaah reached the semi-finals for the first time as group winners, a marked improvement from last year when they exited at the group stage after three losses.
For Chen Tang Jie/Toh Ee Wei, the semi-final finish matched their strong form throughout the season, although they were unable to repeat last year’s runner-up result.
With no Malaysian representatives advancing to the finals, attention now turns to reflection and regrouping as the curtain falls on the 2025 season of elite international badminton.
