Pearly-Thinaah, Hoo-Lai lose their French flair
Malaysian badminton pair Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah finished as runners-up at the French Open after a hard-fought final against Japanese top seeds Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsutomo. Despite the loss, the duo remains optimistic about their recent performance and momentum heading into the Japan Masters.
Why it matters
The result highlights the competitive landscape of international badminton and the resilience of top-tier athletes in high-pressure tournament circuits.
PETALING JAYA: Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah’s (pic) dream of a European double went up in smoke as they let a flying start slip away in the French Open final in Paris yesterday.
The world No. 5 pair came out firing in the opening game but lost their rhythm in the second before going down 21-10, 17-21, 16-21 to top seeds and defending champions Yuki Fukushima-Mayu Matsutomo of Japan at the Grand Arena Paris.
It was their sixth defeat in 11 meetings against the Japanese pair, who turned the tables with their relentless attacking play.
Pearly-Thinaah had arrived in Paris brimming with confidence after winning the Denmark Open last week and reaching back-to-back Super 750 finals.
Thinaah, who won the French Open with Pearly in 2022, admitted they had blown it.
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