Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah saw their hopes of reaching the Asian Games women’s doubles final come to an end, but the Malaysians still walked away with a historic bronze medal after pushing China’s world No. 1 pair all the way.
The fifth-ranked Malaysians made an excellent start against Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning in their semi-final at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium, taking the opening game 21-16.
However, the Chinese pair showed why they sit at the top of the world rankings, edging a tense second game 22-20 before pulling away to win the decider 21-14.
Pearly and Thinaah had several chances to regain control in the second game. They fought back to level the score at 19-19 and again at 20-20, only for Liu and Tan to keep their composure and take the final two points.
Pearly admitted afterwards that staying calm during the most important moments was one area where the Malaysians fell short.
"What we can say is that during the important points, we were not calm enough," Pearly said.
She also praised their opponents for showing impressive maturity despite their age, particularly when the pressure intensified late in the second game.
Once Liu and Tan forced a decider, the momentum shifted firmly in their favour. The Chinese pair quickly established control and maintained the pressure to close out the match 21-14.
The defeat ended Pearly and Thinaah's hopes of becoming the first Malaysian women's doubles pair to reach an Asian Games final.
Despite the disappointment, their bronze represents an important milestone for Malaysian badminton. The medal ends a 12-year wait for Malaysia in the Asian Games women's doubles event, with Vivian Hoo and Woon Khe Wei the previous Malaysian pair to claim bronze at the 2014 Incheon Games.
Malaysia's other women's doubles bronze medallists at the Asian Games include Tan Gaik Bee and Ng Mei Ling in 1962, and Rosalind Singha Ang and Teoh Siew Yong in 1970.
For Thinaah, the medal remains a positive achievement despite the semifinal setback.
"It is a positive thing to be able to bring home a bronze medal for Malaysia," she said, while acknowledging that the pair still have areas to improve after their experience against the world's best.
Pearly and Thinaah will not have long to reflect on their Asian Games campaign. Their next major assignments come in Europe, with the Denmark Open scheduled for October 13 to 18 before the French Open from October 20 to 25.
The narrow defeat to Liu and Tan has given the Malaysians another valuable lesson at the highest level, particularly in handling pressure when matches reach their decisive stages.
With two more major tournaments on the horizon, Pearly and Thinaah will have an immediate opportunity to turn those lessons into progress.
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