Malaysia’s crown jewels, Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, have punched their ticket to the All England 2026 Open semi-finals, becoming the first Malaysian women’s doubles pair to reach the final four in nearly two decades.
The World No. 2 duo didn’t just win; they sent a massive statement to the rest of the field at the Utilita Arena.
Facing Indonesia’s Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma and Meilysa Trias Puspitasari, Pearly and Thinaah had a score to settle. After a shock second-round exit to this same pair at the Malaysia Open in January, the Malaysians were out for blood.
They blitzed the opening set 21-9 in a whirlwind of smashes and lightning-quick net play. While the Indonesians tried to claw back in the second, Pearly-Thinaah held their nerve to close it out 21-18, extending their head-to-head dominance to an emphatic 5-1.
Not since the legendary duo of Wong Pei Tty and Chin Eei Hui in 2007 has a Malaysian women’s pair stood on this stage. For 19 years, the semi-finals were the “Glass Ceiling” for the nation’s doubles specialists. Now, Pearly and Thinaah aren’t just looking at the ceiling—they’re ready to smash through it.
The road to the final now runs through Seoul. Standing in their way are the World No. 4 powerhouse, Baek Ha Na and Lee So Hee.
The rivalry is a true “coin toss,” currently deadlocked at 3-3. The South Koreans looked terrifying in their own quarter-final, dismantling Japan’s Fukushima-Matsumoto 21-18, 21-7.
Credit Photo : BERNAMA
