National women’s doubles shuttlers Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah in action against Hong Kong's Fan Ka Yan-Yau Mau Ying in the first round of Malaysian Masters at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil on Wednesday. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
PETALING JAYA: The Axiata Arena has often been a tricky venue for many shuttlers due to the notoriously strong drift.
Over several editions of the Malaysian Masters, even top players have fallen victim to early upsets, with some blaming the unpredictable wind conditions for their exits.
But after years of experience on the court, Malaysia’s top women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah (pic) appear to have finally found their footing as they chase an end to a 13-year home title drought.
The tricky conditions were no issue for Pearly-Thinaah this time as they comfortably dispatched Hong Kong’s Fan Ka Yan-Yau Mau Ying 21-17, 21-16 in 37 minutes.
“We started a bit slow in the first game, but after the 11-point mark, we adjusted to the court and the drift and managed to settle into our rhythm,” said Thinaah.
“Hopefully we can maintain that consistency for tomorrow (today).”
The quick win also gave them the advantage of wrapping up early and getting more rest ahead of their second round match.
The pair are still riding high after capturing the Thailand Open title last weekend, and despite the short turnaround, they were already back at the Axiata Arena on Monday for a court testing session.
“I think we never want to see how long we play, we just want to give our best and prepare well.
“Actually when we play, we are quite focused in the match and we do forget about the things outside. But in here, the crowd is really loud and we can hear them and we are really motivated because of them,” she added.
Awaiting them in the second round today are Thailand’s Nannapas Sukkad and Pichamon Phatcharaphisutsin.
On paper, Pearly-Thinaah should have little trouble booking a spot in the quarter-finals, with the Thais ranked 85th in the world compared to their current No. 4 standing.
