Can’t keep up: Pearly Tan fails to return a shot as M. Thinaah looks on during their match against India’s Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand. — AP
PETALING JAYA: It’s another disappointing World Tour Finals for Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah.
Yesterday, world No. 6 Pearly-Thinaah blew away a good chance to stay alive in the season finale at Hangzhou, China, after losing 19-21, 19-21 to India’s Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand.
It was their second defeat in Group A after losing to Japan’s Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida in the opening match on Wednesday.
Next, they will play home favourites Liu Shengshu-Tan Ning of China, who have already confirmed their semi-final tickets after winning two consecutive matches.
“It’s disappointing to go out of the Finals in the group stage again,” said Thinaah.
They did not qualify for the last edition but in 2021 in Bali, they failed to reach the semi-finals. Only the top two pairs in the group will enter the last four stage.
Pearly said they were unable to handle the aggressive Indians, who are ranked lower than them at 13.
“Their speed and power put a lot of pressure on us ... they were aggressive and we could not keep up,” said Pearly.
Meanwhile, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani stayed in the hunt for a place in the semi-finals after winning their first match in Group A.
They defeated Lee Jhe-huei-Yang Po-hsuan of Taiwan 15-21, 21-19, 21-13. Sze Fei, who suffered cramps en route to losing to Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen of Denmark on Wednesday, stepped up and played well yesterday.
They must now beat former Olympic champions Lee Yang-Wang Chi-lin to reach the semis in their debut.
RESULTS
Men’s singles
Group A: Li Shifeng (Chn) bt Chou Tien-chen (Tpe) 18-21, 21-14, 21-13. Group B: Jonatan Christie (Ina) bt Kodai Naraoka (Jpn) 21-12, 21-11; Shi Yuqi (Chn) bt Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Tha) 14-21, 21-19, 25-23. n
Men’s doubles
Group A: Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen (Den) bt Lee Yang-Wang Chi-lin (Tpe) 13-21, 21-19, 21-19; Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani (Mas) bt Lee Jhe-huei-Yang Po-hsuan (Tpe) 15-21, 21-19, 21-13. Group B: Sabar Karyawan-Moh Reza (Ina) bt He Jiting-Ren Xiangyu (Chn) 21-17, 21-11;
Women’s singles
Group A: Aya Ohori (Jpn) bt Wang Zhiyi (Chn) 21-17, 13-21, 21-19; Gregoria Mariska (Ina) bt Busanan Ongbamrungphan (Tha) 10-21, 21-10, 21-11; Group B: Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn) bt An Se-young (Kor) 22-20, 17-21, 21-15; Han Yue (Chn) bt Supanida Katethong (Tha) 21-16, 21-18.
Women’s doubles
Group A: Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand (Ina) bt Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah (Mas) 21-19, 21-19; Liu Shengshu-Tan Ning (Chn) bt Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida (Jpn) 21-7, 21-14. Group B: Chen Qingchen-Jia Yifan (Chn) bt Baek Ha-na-Lee So-hee (Kor) 21-16, 21-16; Febriana Dwipuji-Amallia Cahaya (Ina) bt Rin Iwanaga-Kie Nakanishi (Jpn) 21-15, 21-12.
Mixed doubles
Group A: Zheng Siwei-Huang Dongping (Chn) bt Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet (Hkg) 14-21, 21-13, 21-18; Jiang Zhenbang-Wei Yaxin (Chn) bt Hang Po-hsuan-Hu Ling-fang (Tpe) 21-17, 21-19; Group B: Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei (Mas) bt Dejan Ferdinansyah-Gloria Imanuelle of Indonesia 21-17, 21-18; Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie (Mas) bt Hiroki Morikawa-Natsu Saito of Japan 21-14, 21-14.
