New Delhi, India: Malaysia’s leading women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan saw their hopes of another deep run at the BWF World Championships come to an end after a three-game defeat in New Delhi.
The fifth-seeded Malaysians were beaten by Indonesia’s 13th seeds Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma and Amallia Cahaya Pratiwi 20-22, 21-18, 21-12 in the third round at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
Pearly and Thinaah took a hard-fought opening game 22-20, but the Indonesian pair responded strongly to turn the match around and deny the Malaysians a place in the quarterfinals.
Pearly Tan-Thinaah Make Strong Start
Pearly and Thinaah entered the match with confidence after enjoying considerable success against the Indonesian pair in previous meetings.
The opening game reflected how evenly matched the two partnerships were. Neither side was able to pull away decisively, and the game went beyond the regulation 21 points before Pearly and Thinaah edged it 22-20.
With one game in hand, the Malaysians appeared well positioned to move closer to another World Championships quarterfinal appearance.
Febriana and Amallia, however, refused to allow the match to slip away.
Indonesian Pair Fight Back to Force Decider
The Indonesians raised their level in the second game and began disrupting Malaysia’s preferred rhythm.
Pearly and Thinaah remained within striking distance, but Febriana and Amallia were more effective during the closing stages and took the game 21-18 to force a decider.
The momentum then moved firmly toward the Indonesian side.
Febriana and Amallia controlled the third game, while Pearly and Thinaah struggled to rediscover the pattern of play that had helped them win the opener.
The Indonesians eventually pulled clear and completed the comeback 21-12.
- Winners: Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma/Amallia Cahaya Pratiwi of Indonesia
- Defeated: Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan of Malaysia
- Score: 20-22, 21-18, 21-12
- Round: Women’s doubles third round
Pearly-Thinaah Unable to Repeat Historic World Championships Run
The defeat was particularly disappointing for Pearly and Thinaah after their breakthrough performance at the previous World Championships.
They had become the first Malaysian women’s doubles pair in history to reach a World Championships final, establishing a new benchmark for the country in the event.
The pair arrived in New Delhi hoping to at least challenge for another place in the medal rounds, but their campaign ended earlier than expected.
Pearly and Thinaah had also enjoyed a strong record against Febriana and Amallia before this meeting, winning five of their previous six encounters.
The Malaysians had defeated the Indonesians comfortably in their previous meeting at the All England quarterfinals in March, winning 21-9, 21-18.
This time, however, the Indonesian pair produced the stronger finish.
Thinaah: Malaysia Moved Away From Original Game Plan
Thinaah acknowledged after the match that the Malaysians gradually drifted away from the strategy they had prepared before going on court.
She felt that the pair began reacting to the Indonesians instead of imposing their own game, particularly during the latter stages of the contest.
“We started following their game, especially toward the end. We didn’t stick to our original plan, and they also played well to break down our strategy.”
Thinaah said the experience provided another area for the pair to work on when they return to training.
Pearly Tan Sees Progress Despite World Championships Exit
Pearly remained positive about the partnership’s overall direction despite the disappointing result.
She believes their performances have continued to improve since returning to competition together, although she acknowledged that there are still areas of her individual game that need further work following her injury recovery.
“I think our progress has been getting better, but in terms of my own capabilities, there are still many things I need to improve.”
Pearly also made clear that the pair have no intention of allowing one defeat to derail their longer-term ambitions.
“We won’t give up. We will continue training and work even harder.”
An Se Young Cruises Into World Championships Quarterfinals
Elsewhere in women’s singles, top seed An Se Young continued her title challenge with another convincing straight-game victory.
The South Korean defeated Denmark’s 16th seed Mia Blichfeldt 21-16, 21-10 in the round of 16.
Blichfeldt stayed competitive during the opening game, but An gradually took control before dominating the second.
- Winner: An Se Young of South Korea
- Defeated: Mia Blichfeldt of Denmark
- Score: 21-16, 21-10
An will next face China’s fifth seed Han Yue in the quarterfinals.
Han Yue Survives Three-Game Test Against Kim Ga Eun
Han Yue had a much more demanding route into the last eight.
The Chinese player defeated South Korea’s 12th seed Kim Ga Eun 21-19, 20-22, 21-14.
Han edged a tight first game before Kim responded by taking the second 22-20. The Chinese fifth seed then regained control in the decider and pulled away to win 21-14.
- Winner: Han Yue of China
- Defeated: Kim Ga Eun of South Korea
- Score: 21-19, 20-22, 21-14
- Quarterfinal opponent: An Se Young of South Korea
Nozomi Okuhara Returns to World Championships Quarterfinals
Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara also advanced after overcoming a determined challenge from American Ishika Jaiswal.
The 11th-seeded Japanese player won 21-11, 13-21, 21-12.
Okuhara dominated the opening game before Jaiswal responded impressively in the second. The former world champion then reasserted herself in the decider, winning 21-12 to secure a place in the quarterfinals.
- Winner: Nozomi Okuhara of Japan
- Defeated: Ishika Jaiswal of the United States
- Score: 21-11, 13-21, 21-12
Pornpawee Chochuwong Knocks Out Chen Yu Fei
One of the most notable badminton results in women’s singles came from Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong, who eliminated China’s fourth seed Chen Yu Fei in a dramatic three-game contest.
Chen started strongly and took the opening game 21-15, but Pornpawee refused to let the match get away.
The Thai 10th seed survived an exceptionally tight second game 25-23 before carrying that momentum into the decider.
Pornpawee completed the upset by taking the final game 21-17.
- Winner: Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand
- Defeated: Chen Yu Fei of China
- Score: 15-21, 25-23, 21-17
- Quarterfinal opponent: Nozomi Okuhara of Japan
The result sets up an intriguing quarterfinal between Pornpawee and Okuhara.
Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning Advance in Women’s Doubles
China’s top-seeded women’s doubles pair Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning continued their strong World Championships campaign with a straight-game victory.
Liu and Tan defeated Bulgaria’s ninth seeds Gabriela Stoeva and Stefani Stoeva 21-16, 21-18.
The Stoeva sisters stayed close during both games, but the Chinese pair were more effective during the decisive rallies.
- Winners: Liu Sheng Shu/Tan Ning of China
- Defeated: Gabriela Stoeva/Stefani Stoeva of Bulgaria
- Score: 21-16, 21-18
Yeung Nga Ting-Yeung Pui Lam Book Quarterfinal Spot
Hong Kong’s Yeung Nga Ting and Yeung Pui Lam also advanced to the women’s doubles quarterfinals with an impressive straight-game win.
They defeated Chinese Taipei’s 11th seeds Hsu Yin-Hui and Lin Jhih Yun 21-18, 21-16.
- Winners: Yeung Nga Ting/Yeung Pui Lam of Hong Kong
- Defeated: Hsu Yin-Hui/Lin Jhih Yun of Chinese Taipei
- Score: 21-18, 21-16
Yeung and Yeung will now challenge top seeds Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning for a place in the semifinals.
World Championships Quarterfinal Line-Up Takes Shape
The women’s events are now entering the decisive stages in New Delhi, with several high-profile badminton matchups confirmed.
In women’s singles, world No. 1 An Se Young will meet China’s Han Yue, while former world champion Nozomi Okuhara faces Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong.
In women’s doubles, China’s Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning will take on Hong Kong’s Yeung Nga Ting and Yeung Pui Lam.
For Malaysia, however, Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan’s elimination brings an early end to a campaign that began with hopes of another medal challenge.
Pearly-Thinaah Turn Attention to Next Challenge
The result in New Delhi will hurt, particularly after Pearly and Thinaah’s historic run to the previous World Championships final.
But the Malaysian pair have already demonstrated that they are capable of competing with the world’s best women’s doubles combinations.
The immediate task will be understanding why their tactical discipline faded after taking the opening game against Febriana and Amallia and ensuring the same pattern does not repeat in future major matches.
Pearly’s continuing return to full strength will also be an important part of their progress.
Their World Championships challenge may be over, but both players have made it clear that the setback will not change their determination to improve and return stronger in the tournaments ahead.
