KUALA LUMPUR: Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah desperately need a break to re-energise and rediscover their form, and national coaching director Rexy Mainaky knows it.
The Indonesian coach will allow the world No. 7 pair to skip a tournament ahead of the season-ending World Tour Finals (WTF) in December.
Rexy believes Pearly-Thinaah are likely experiencing mental fatigue after competing non-stop in six consecutive tournaments since reaching the semi-finals of the Paris Olympics in August.
During that gruelling run, Pearly-Thinaah clinched the Super 500 Hong Kong Open title and finished runners-up at the Super 500 Korea Open and Arctic Open.
They also made it to the quarter-finals of the Super 750 Japan Open and Super 750 Denmark Open, which concluded on Sunday.
Their only misstep was an early exit at the Super 1000 China Open, where they crashed out in the first round.
At the Denmark Open in Odense, Pearly was heavily strapped on both knees and her right shoulder during the pair's quarter-final defeat to Japan's world No. 6, Rin Iwanaga-Kie Nakanishi, raising concerns over both physical and mental burnout.
"I believe it's more a case of mental fatigue than physical," said Rexy.
"If they want to skip a tournament, I'll allow them to do so.
"Pearly-Thinaah were determined to prove themselves after missing out on a medal at the Paris Olympics, so they kept competing in several tournaments. I will have a chat with them and discuss the next step when they return from Odense tomorrow.
"They need to reduce their stress and feel refreshed before their next tournament," added Rexy.
With Pearly-Thinaah all but confirmed for the WTF in Hangzhou on Dec 11-15, they now have the option of skipping the Super 500 Kumamoto Masters in Japan.
However, the pair face a potential dilemma, as they may have to compete at the Kumamoto Masters due to sponsorship commitments with Yonex, the BA of Malaysia's main equipment sponsor.
"Pearly-Thinaah can skip the Kumamoto Masters, but they also have obligations to fulfil with their sponsor," explained Rexy.
"There could be a photoshoot in Japan at that time.
"Whatever happens, I want to hear from them first, and I'll support them in any way I can to ease their physical and mental stress."
If they skip the Kumamoto Masters, Pearly-Thinaah will have a four-week break before the Super 750 China Masters in Shenzhen on Nov 19-24, where the top 10 players or pairs are required to compete.