KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 — The country’s top women’s doubles duo Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah failed to advance to the semi-finals of the 2022 All England Badminton Championship after losing to unseeded South Korean pair Jeong Na Eun-Kim Hye Jeong in the quarterfinals today.
In the match at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham, Pearly-Thinaah, who are ranked 15th in the world, failed to maintain their momentum after winning in the first set 21-15 over the 64th-ranked duo.
In the second set, both pairs put up a tough fight before Pearly-Thinaah relented to a 17-21 defeat.
This clearly shook the Malaysian pair who slowed down in the rubber set and lost 9-21 to the South Koreans.
Na Eun-Hye Jeong are set to face the tournament’s seventh seeds from Japan, Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida, in the semi-finals tomorrow.
The Japanese duo also sprung a surprise of their own against the third-seeded South Korean pair Kim Soyeong-Kong Heeyong 21-10, 21-18 in another quarter-final action.
Malaysia has another two representatives set to play in the quarter-finals today.
Defending champion Lee Zii Jia will face Japan’s Kento Momota while mixed doubles pair Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing will face Zheng Si Wei-Huang Ya Qiong from China. — Bernama