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KUALA LUMPUR – It was sweet revenge for national women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah as they defeated Bulgarian sisters Gabriela Stoeva-Stefani Stoeva in the opening round of the 2023 Malaysia Masters.
At the Axiata Arena, it took the world number 11 Malaysian pair 40 minutes to advance into the second round tomorrow.
Having been knocked out of the 2023 Malaysia Open first round by the Stoeva sisters earlier this year, Pearly-Thinaah now have the leg up in the head-to-head, winning two of their three past meetings.
“We are happy because we lost to them when we played them here the last time. This is a good start to the tournament, and we hope we can continue with our current momentum,” said the pair after their match.
Facing Japan’s Rena Miyaura-Ayako Sakuramoto in the second round on Thursday, Pearly said preparation in advance is needed.
“Japanese players are more consistent, and their physical abilities are tough. We have to be more mentally prepared when facing Japanese players,” she said.
Meanwhile, men’s doubles pair Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi also made it into the second round after they won against China’s Ren Xiang Yu-Tan Qiang 21-16, 21-18.
The eighth-seed Malaysian duo have now won twice against their Chinese opponents, with the first win coming in the first round of the Super 1000 Malaysia Open.
They did admit that their hectic schedule since returning from China after the Sudirman Cup yesterday has left them with insufficient sleep.
“We are tired because we have not had enough sleep since returning. But this is not something only we face. Everyone goes through this, so it is not an excuse,” they said.
Yew Sin-Ee Yi will take on Chinese Taipei’s Lu Ching Yao-Yang Po Han in the second round.
The Malaysian won their recent clash at the Sudirman Cup Group C match and evened the head-to-head score at 3-3.
Meanwhile, it was a first-round exit for women’s doubles pair Vivian Hoo-Lim Chiew Sien as they crashed out today after failing to make it past Denmark’s Maiken Fruergaard-Sara Thygesen 21-13, 21-18. – The Vibes, May 23, 2023