PETALING JAYA: Physically, Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah were pushed to the brink, but it did not stop them from reaching the French Open quarter-finals on Thursday (Oct 22).
Pearly-Thinaah battled for 46 minutes to beat teammates Carmen Ting-Ong Xin Yee 21-14, 22-20 in the second round at the Arena Grand Paris.
The world No. 5 pair will face Stoeva sisters Gabriela and Stefani of Bulgaria on Friday (Oct 23) for a place in the semi-finals.
“I do not think we are in very good physical condition, and it was obvious during the match. But we kept reminding to believe in each other and supported each other... I think that is all we can do for now,” said Pearly.
“We need to be patient when facing aggressive players like Carmen-Xin Yee. They were physically strong and powerful too. We are bound to get tired (playing in this pace), but it is the same for everyone.
“We just have to be physically and mentally prepared.”
Just last week, Pearly-Thinaah maintained their momentum to lift the Denmark Open title in style in Odense. Now, they will be hoping to last the distance and reach another final.
