PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s top women’s doubles duo Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah shocked Japan’s world No. 2 pair Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida to reach the Japan Open final, winning 21-13, 21-11 in just 35 minutes.
It was only their second win over their arch-rivals in 15 meetings. Pearly-Thinaah, ranked world No. 3, will face the winners of the all-Chinese semi-final between Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning and Jia Yi Fan-Zhang Shu Xian tomorrow.
This marks their fourth final this year, having already won the Thailand Open in May. Their Japan Open success comes after signing a new BAM contract worth RM1 million annually each, running until the 2028 LA Olympics.
