KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 30 — National doubles pair Pearly Tan - M. Thinaah opened their Japan Open campaign in superb style by edging South Korea’s Lee Soo Hee - Shin Seung Chan, the world number two pair, in a match that went the distance at the Maruzen Intec Arena in Osaka, Japan.
Pearly-Thinaah who lost to Japan’s fifth seeds in the third round of the World Championships in Tokyo, last week, beat the South Koreans 16 - 21, 21 - 14 and 21 - 18 in three games.
The Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning pair, ranked 11th in the world now, moved into the second round of the competition with the win.
Another Malaysian pair Vivian Hoo - Lim Chiew Sien also moved into the second round after beating Germany’s Linda Efler - Isabel Lohau 21 - 17, 23 - 21.
In the mixed doubles competition, Cheng Tang Jie - Peck Yen Wei lost to Hoo Pang Ron - Toh Ee Wei 21 - 23, 24 - 22 and 21 - 17 in an all-Malaysian encounter.
Two other pairs were also shown the exit in the men’s doubles and women’s doubles competition when Goh Sze Fei - Nur Izzuddin Rumsani lost their men’s doubles match to Muhammad Shohibul - Bagas Maulana 17 - 21, 21 - 18, 19 - 21 in three games while Anna Ching Yik Cheong - Teoh Mei Xing were beaten by China’s Liu Xuan Xuan - Xia Yu Ting 21 - 9, 21 - 14 in the women’s doubles.
— Bernama
