PETALING JAYA: It was a bumpy ride that drew sweet reward at the end for Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah in the World Championships.
And the duo could not believe that they had arrived at the final of the biggest badminton stage in the world.
On Saturday (Aug 30), Pearly-Thinaah executed a brilliant strategy to outplay their archrivals Chiharu Shida-Nami Matsuyama of Japan 14-21, 21-13, 21-12 in 68 minutes at the Adidas Arena in Paris.
They face top seeds Liu Shengshu-Tan Ning in the final on Sunday (Aug 31).
“I think it’s still unbelievable that we are here today because the past couple of weeks have been really tough. It was a bumpy ride, to be honest," said Thinaah in post match interview with BWF.
"People can see the outcome, but only the two of us and the coaches truly know what we went through.
"Thankfully, everyone around us never gave up on us, and for that we are very grateful.
"To be here today, words cannot describe how happy we are, but we want to stay grounded as there is still one more match to go.
For now, we just want to rest well, go over the game with each other and the coaches, and come back stronger," said Thinaah.
It was a sweet triumph as they not only became the first Malaysian women’s pair to reach the final but also overcame their nemesis, who had won 13 of their 15 previous meetings.
The victory also served as fitting redemption, having lost to the same opponents in the bronze-medal playoff at the Paris Olympics last year.
The key to their victory over Shida-Matsuyama was their patience and composure throughout the match.
"The main thing was supporting each other, staying patient, staying calm, remembering to enjoy every point and leaving no regrets on court. That was what we kept reminding each other," said Thinaah.
Chipped in Pearly: "In the third game, it was point by point and both sides were nervous. But we communicated really well and that helped us stay calm."
