PETALING JAYA: Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah may need to return to the winning formula that once made them such a formidable pair.
Malaysian badminton legend Datuk Seri Jalani Sidek believes the world No. 5 women’s doubles pair have lost some of the sharpness that made them so dangerous in the past.
While he still regards Pearly-Thinaah as one of Malaysia’s strongest pairs, Jalani feels their game has become too predictable, with opponents now more prepared for the tactics they employ.
One area he wants to see them improve is their attacking play, as he feels they are no longer as aggressive as before, particularly when using their smashes to finish off rallies.
“For the women’s doubles, I feel that when they start to lose power, they become reluctant to smash and prefer to just keep the rally going. To me, that is not really a strategy.
“Against certain players, you may be able to play that way, but against experienced and powerful opponents, you still have to attack.
“Like it or not, in doubles you need to smash, even if your smash is not that powerful, because it is part of the strategy. ''Otherwise, your opponents will start to read your game.
“That is what I see happening with Pearly and Thinaah. They are still capable, but they need to make some changes and get back to the way they played when they were winning,” said Jalani.
Last week, Pearly-Thinaah were knocked out in the second round of the China Masters, having also fallen in the third round of the World Championships in New Delhi.
Their recent results have raised concerns over their form ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games from Sept 19-Oct 4.
Jalani acknowledged that Pearly is still being cautious after recently recovering from injury, but feels that cannot be an excuse for making too many mistakes on court.
“Previously, Pearly was attacking well from the back while Thinaah controlled the game, but now I see Pearly making more mistakes. They need to rectify that and understand why it is happening.
“When you are going through a difficult period, you have to work even harder. Otherwise, opponents will start believing that they can beat you.
“They have to make sure their physical condition is good. They are still at that level, but there are things they need to work on if they want to improve,” he added.
