KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 — National top women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah powered their way to back-to-back Hong Kong Open finals when they stunned top seed Baek Ha Na-Lee So Hee in the semi-finals of the 2024 edition in Kowloon, today.

The third seed duo survived a gruelling 74-minute rubber set battle against Ha Na-So Hee before prevailing 22-20, 17-21, 21-15, in the Super 500 tournament held in Hong Kong Coliseum.

This victory marks their third win over the world number two duo in four encounters.

Both pairs first met in the semi-finals of the French Open 2022, which went to the Malaysians way, 21-13, 21-17.

Pearly and Thinaah, the current world number eight, will now face either second-seeded Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning from China or fourth-seeded Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong from South Korea, who meet in the other semifinal later.

Today’s result offers Pearly and Thinaah a chance to bounce back after their loss in last year’s final against Indonesia’s Apriyani Rahayu and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti, who edged them out 21-14, 22-24, 9-21.

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games semi-finalists last claimed a title at the 2022 French Open, where they defeated Japan’s Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara 21-19, 18-21, 21-15. — Bernama