KUALA LUMPUR: Women's doubles Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah battled exhaustion but ultimately fell short in their Denmark Open quarter-final clash in Odense yesterday (Oct 18).
The world No. 7, fresh off their epic semi-final win over Rin Iwanaga-Kie Nakanishi at last week's Arctic Open in Finland, couldn't hold off the same Japanese pair this time around, losing 22-20, 21-19.
The tightly contested 57-minute match was a testament to the high-quality showdown and how close Pearly-Thinaah came to pulling off another thrilling victory.
Thinaah admitted that they were just too tired yesterday (Oct 18).
"It's been a great couple of weeks, but we were tired today," she admitted.
"Every time we step on court, we bring that fighting Malaysian spirit. Sometimes, when it comes down to those crucial points, we really have to dig deep, but we always have each other's backs."
Next on their agenda are the Kumamoto Masters (Nov 12-17) and the China Masters (Nov 19-24), with Pearly-Thinaah planning to return home for a well-deserved rest.
"We'll head back, rest up, eat some good food, and come back stronger," Thinaah added.
In Finland, Iwanaga-Nakanishi had pushed Pearly-Thinaah to their limits, with the Malaysians needing 102 minutes to secure a win in the semi-finals.
Pearly even suffered leg cramps but fought on to seal victory, finishing runner-up in the Arctic Open.
However, Iwanaga-Nakanishi's superior fitness, a hallmark of Japanese badminton players, proved decisive in Denmark.
"They're a solid pair to face," said Pearly.
"They kept up the pressure with their speed and attack, but we couldn't quite keep control today. We're just exhausted."
Despite the frustrating defeat, Pearly-Thinaah still hold a 4-2 advantage over Iwanaga-Nakanishi and remain determined to bounce back after a successful European run that started with a semi-final finish at the Paris Olympics.
The pair have also won the Hong Kong Open, finished second at the China Open, and claimed the Arctic Open runners-up spot.
With their current form, Pearly-Thinaah are expected to return to the Kumamoto Masters with renewed energy and confidence.