KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia Masters runners-up Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah’s performance at the tournament this year has impressed national women’s doubles coach Hoon Thien How.
Playing a total of 434 minutes on the court at Axiata Arena over the week, their performance was surprising as Pearly had just recovered from influenza last month, said Thien How.
“I have never seen them play in a match that went on for an hour and 51 minutes before this.
“It is amazing because Pearly just recovered from influenza and seeing the both of them last so long on court is impressive.
“They only trained for five days before leaving for the Sudirman Cup, then the Masters began right after that, and the pair showcased an amazing performance here,” he said.
Thien How added that moving forward, the coaching staff would focus on maintaining the world number 11 pair’s fitness, without pushing them too hard as they had just endured a leg-numbing performance.
In the second-round fixture against Japan’s Rena Miyaura-Ayako Sakuramoto that went on for an hour and 30 minutes, the pairs played a 211-shot rally that could potentially be the longest rally ever recorded.
In the quarterfinals, Pearly-Thinaah took on Yuki Fukushima-Sayaka Hirota for an hour and 50 minutes, eventually winning 13-21, 21-19, 21-16.
After winning against South Korea’s Jeong Na-eun-Kim Hye-jeong in the semifinals, Pearly-Thinaah were close to clinching the title, but were overpowered by Baek Ha-na-Lee So-Hee 22-20, 8-21, 21-17.
Thien How said the pair have been training with the men’s doubles shuttlers occasionally in the week to improve their shot power, as it still lacks compared with other countries like Japan and South Korea.
“Their gameplay has changed now. It’s similar to the men’s doubles with more attacking. But we can’t make them train with the men daily, otherwise they will be exhausted,” he said.
Skipping the Thailand Open which starts tomorrow, the pair will get a well-deserved break before starting their training once again for the Singapore Open from June 6 to 11. – The Vibes, May 29, 2023
