Malaysia’s women’s doubles challenge at the Badminton Asia Championships 2026 came to an end after Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan fell in the quarter-finals to China’s Li Yi Jing and Luo Xu Min in Ningbo, China on Friday.
The world No.2 Malaysian pair were defeated 13–21, 15–21 in a 41-minute encounter at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Center, bringing their continental campaign to an early conclusion.
Entering the tournament as one of Malaysia’s strongest medal hopes, Pearly and Thinaah found themselves under pressure from the opening exchanges.
The Chinese duo, ranked No.9 in the world, imposed a high-tempo game in the first set, leaving the Malaysians struggling to keep up with their speed and attacking patterns.
Although Pearly–Thinaah attempted to change their approach in the second set, the home pair continued to dictate the pace.
The Malaysians briefly ignited hopes of a comeback when they surged ahead early in the second game.
However, backed by strong support from the home crowd, Li Yi Jing and Luo Xu Min quickly regrouped. After drawing level at 7–7, the Chinese pair tightened their control, racing ahead 11–7 before closing out the match 21–15.
The defeat marked the Malaysians’ second loss in three meetings against the Chinese pair, denying Pearly–Thinaah the opportunity to achieve their best-ever result at the Badminton Asia Championships.
Following their victory, Li Yi Jing and Luo Xu Min advanced to the semi-finals where they will face Japan’s experienced pairing Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto, who earlier defeated Indonesia’s Rachel Rose and Febi Setianingrum.
Credit Photo : Badminton Asia
