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KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's top women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah suffered a major upset today as they fell to unseeded Japanese duo Sumire Nakade-Miyu Takahashi in straight sets in the final of the Taiwan Open 2026.
Despite entering the tournament as the top seeds and world number five, Pearly-Thinaah found it difficult to overcome the spirited challenge of the world number 71 Japanese pair after losing the first set 16-21.
The 40-minute match saw a more closely contested second game, with Pearly-Thinaah battling back to level the score at 18-18 in an attempt to force a deciding rubber.
However, the Japanese duo kept their composure, reeling off three consecutive points to clinch the second game 21-18 and secure the victory in straight sets.
"I think the Japanese did really well in attacking us especially in pressuring us so I think during the defence it really took a toll on me, so that is something that I need to work on,” Thinaah said in a voice recording shared by Badminton World Federation, today.
Pearly said the pair would take plenty of positives into the 2026 World Championships, adding that they were gradually rediscovering their rhythm and improving their on-court rotations.
However, she admitted their physical condition remained an area that needed improvement and said they would work on it after returning home in preparation for the world meet.
This was Pearly-Thinaah’s second final appearance of the year following their triumphant run as champions at the Indonesia Masters in January. - BERNAMA
