KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 11 — Malaysia’s doubles pair Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah put up a spirited fight but fell short against Japan’s Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida in their Group A opener at the World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, China, today.

Despite a strong start, Pearly and Thinaah succumbed to the world No. 4 pair in a nail-biting 21-13, 17-21, 18-21 defeat.

The Malaysians, ranked world No. 10, showcased promise early in the match by securing the first game, but their Japanese opponents mounted a resilient comeback.

The loss extended Pearly and Thinaah’s tough record against Matsuyama and Shida, whom they have only beaten once in 12 encounters. Their sole victory came at the 2022 French Open, where they went on to claim the title.

"It was not easy to play against them but we had our advantages but we did not make full use of it," Thinaah was quoted as saying by The Star Online after the match.

"We had a good lead in the second game but could not hold on to it. They did well."

The Malaysians now face a must-win scenario when they take on India’s Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand tomorrow.

Only the top two pairs in Group A will advance to the semi-finals, keeping the pressure firmly on Pearly and Thinaah to deliver in their next outing.