Malaysia’s hopes in the women’s doubles at the upcoming Malaysia Masters have suffered a major setback after top pair Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan were forced to withdraw from the tournament due to injury concerns.
The Badminton Association of Malaysia confirmed that Pearly is still recovering from a recurring back injury, ruling her out of the home competition scheduled to take place at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil.
It marks the third consecutive international event missed by Pearly since the injury issue resurfaced, raising further concern over her fitness ahead of a packed stretch of tournaments in the coming weeks.
Source: Badminton World Tour
The withdrawal is another disappointing development for the world No. 2 pair, who had been expected to spearhead Malaysia’s challenge in the women’s doubles category on home soil. Pearly and Thinaah remain among the country’s most successful women’s partnerships, having consistently competed at the highest level in recent seasons.
Malaysia’s coaching setup is now expected to reshuffle plans for the tournament, with younger pairs likely to receive greater opportunities in the absence of the national top duo.
There is also uncertainty surrounding Pearly and Thinaah’s participation in upcoming events, including the Singapore Open and Indonesia Open, as the medical team continues to monitor Pearly’s recovery progress.
The latest setback comes at a frustrating time for the pair, who had been aiming to regain momentum after several strong performances earlier in the season. Pearly had previously revealed she was managing back pain during tournaments earlier this year, highlighting the ongoing nature of the issue.
With the Malaysia Masters set to begin without one of the country’s biggest badminton attractions, attention will now shift to whether Pearly can recover fully in time for the demanding international calendar ahead.
