In a stunning display of dominance, Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, the world's second-ranked women's doubles pair, have secured their third title of the year at the Kumamoto Masters! This Malaysian duo silenced the passionate Japanese crowd as they defeated local favorites Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi in straight games.
The match, held at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium, lasted 54 minutes and ended with a score of 22-20, 21-19 in favor of Pearly-Thinaah. This victory marks their third title in 2025, a record-breaking achievement. But here's where it gets even more impressive: they achieved this feat despite facing a challenging semi-final tie against another Japanese pair the day before, where they recovered from a 17-20 deficit to win.
The Malaysian pair's prize money for this triumph was a substantial US$37,525 (RM155,190), while the runners-up received US$18,050 (RM76,648). This win adds to their impressive record against Iwanaga-Nakanishi, with seven victories in their nine encounters.
Pearly-Thinaah is having a remarkable season, reaching seven finals, a feat matched only by the legendary men's doubles pair Razif Sidek and Jailani Sidek in 1989. However, the record for the best season still belongs to men's singles ace Lee Chong Wei, who reached 11 finals in 2010.
The dynamic duo has already claimed the Arctic Open and Thailand Open titles this year, adding to their previous victories at the Swiss Open (2021), French Open (2022), and Hong Kong Open (2024). They also finished as runners-up at the World Championships in Paris, falling to the top-ranked Chinese pair Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning.
With the WTF (World Tour Finals) approaching, Pearly-Thinaah will play their final tournament before the big event at the Australia Open in Sydney. They are among the favorites to win the women's doubles title at the WTF, which offers a staggering RM12.5 million in prize money and will be held in Hangzhou, China, from December 17 to 21. Several other Malaysian pairs have also qualified for the WTF, including men's doubles pairs Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, and mixed doubles teams Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei and Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie.
And this is the part most people miss: the WTF is not just about the prize money; it's a prestigious event that can cement Pearly-Thinaah's status as one of the all-time great doubles pairs. Will they be able to handle the pressure and live up to the expectations? Only time will tell. So, what do you think? Are Pearly-Thinaah destined for greatness, or will the pressure get to them? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
