Denmark Open 2026: Pearly-Thinaah End 18-Year Wait for Malaysian WD Final

World No. 5 pair beat Bao-Cao in straight games to reach first Denmark Open final

Malaysia’s Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah made history on Saturday by becoming the first Malaysian women’s doubles pair to reach the Denmark Open final since 2008.

The world No. 5 pair, who are also second seeds, beat China’s world No. 30 pair Bao Li Jing-Cao Zi Han 21-16, 21-14 in the semi-final at the SJF Bank Arena in Odense.

The win ended an 18-year wait for a Malaysian women’s doubles pair in the final. The last to get there were Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty, who won the title in 2008, beating Indonesia’s Rani Mundiasti-Jo Novita 23-21, 21-12 in what was their first Super Series title.

On Sunday, Pearly-Thinaah will play the winner of the other semi-final between Japan’s Hinata Suzuki-Nao Yamakita and their compatriots Sumire Nakade-Miyu Takahashi. They will be looking to match Eei Hui-Pei Tty’s achievement by winning the title.

The semi-final win is a big step up from last year, when Pearly-Thinaah were stunned in the second round in Odense by Japan’s Arisa Igarashi-Chiharu Shida, losing 8-21, 9-21. They beat India’s Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand in three games in the quarter-finals this year.

Pearly-Thinaah, the 2022 Commonwealth Games champions, have had a strong 2026. They became the first Malaysian women’s pair to reach the All England semi-finals since 2007 when they did so in March. They recently won bronze at the Asian Games in Nagoya. They also finished as runners-up at the World Championships in 2025.

Credit Photo : SBA