Rexy Mainaky says Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah’s Asian Games semi-final defeat was disappointing after they narrowly missed a straight-set win
AICHI: National doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky described Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah’s failure to reach the women’s doubles final at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games as deeply disappointing, especially since the pair appeared to have a chance to wrap up the match in straight sets.
Rexy noted that the national pair had nearly secured the second set, but a few errors at critical moments allowed the Chinese duo, Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning to stage a comeback and clinch victory in the deciding set.
“It is truly a pity because we could have gone further. We were close to winning the second set, but there were slight errors at crucial points.
“At those critical moments, they (Sheng Shu and Tan Ning) were perhaps bolder because they played more freely, with a ‘nothing to lose’ attitude,” he said when met.
Pearly and Thinaah had to settle for the bronze medal after losing to Sheng Shu and Tan Ning in the semi-finals at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium today.
Rexy added that physical strength was also a differentiating factor when the national pair faced pressure in the deciding set.
“We lost out in terms of strength in the third set,” he said.
Meanwhile, Rexy remains satisfied with the national squad’s overall performance, noting increasing cohesion in both the men’s and women’s camps.
He stated that areas identified for improvement would be addressed in preparation for upcoming tournaments, including next year’s SEA Games and the long-term goal of the Los Angeles 2028 (LA28) Olympics.
“We can see that both the men’s and women’s squads are solid and playing well.
“For next year’s SEA Games and the LA Olympics, we may need to work harder on the areas we have identified. In terms of skills, our players are still doing fine, but we likely need to improve on other aspects, including strength,” he said.
