PETALING JAYA: Women's doubles shuttlers Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah have narrowly lost to newly formed pair Yuki Fukushima-Mayu Matsumoto in the first round of the Japan Masters.
Pearly-Thinaah were leading 19-15 in the third game but could not capitalise on their advantage and lost 9-21, 21-14, 21-23 in an hour in Kumamoto, Japan on Tuesday (Nov 12).
The Japanese pair presented a challenge as Matsumoto is a former two-time world champion with Wakana Nagahara while Fukushima is a three-time silver medallist in the world meet with Sayaka Hirota.
The duo caused Pearly-Thinaah lots of problems and won the first game easily but the Malaysians came back firing to snatch the second game.
The decider was a close affair until the world No. 7 pair pulled away at 19-15 but the Japanese refused to give up and led 20-19 and 21-20 before claiming the win.
It was only Pearly-Thinaah's second early-round defeat in their last seven tournaments.
Meanwhile, there was better news in the men's doubles when Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun and Tan Wee Kiong-Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub all cleared their respective first-round hurdles.
Malaysia are assured of a quarter-finalist as Sze Fei-Izzuddin will play Wee Kiong-Azriyn in the second round while world No. 14 Wei Chong-Kai Wun have a tough hurdle against Indonesia's world No. 5 Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto.
