Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah have etched their names in Malaysian badminton history, soaring to World No. 2 in the latest Badminton World Federation (BWF) women’s doubles rankings – a career-best milestone and Malaysia’s highest ranking in over a decade.
This awe-inspiring achievement was confirmed on Tuesday, as the dynamic duo leapfrogged Japan’s Chiharu Shida and Nami Matsuyama following a commanding semi-final run at the China Open in Changzhou.
The duo finished as runners-up at the Indonesia Open in June and followed it up with consecutive strong performances at the Japan and China Opens this month.
Pearly-Thinaah now stand as beacons of national pride, reigniting Malaysia’s presence at the very top of the sport. The last time the nation celebrated such a feat in women’s doubles was back in 2009, when legends Chin Eei Hui and Wong Pei Tty briefly held the World No. 1 spot.
Pearly-Thinaah’s road to World No. 1
To mount a genuine push for the world No. 1 ranking, Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah will need to start securing championship titles – they currently trail Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning by 22,000 points.
Meanwhile, in men’s doubles, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik remain Malaysia’s top-ranked pair at No. 2. Their runner-up finish in China has brought them closer to catching South Korea’s Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae at the top of the leaderboard.
Source: NST
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