PARIS, July 30 — National women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah advanced to the quarter-finals of the 2024 Paris Olympics, after another upset victory in their last Group A match, today.
The 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games gold medallists, who were in a do-or-die mission in the 'group of death' match, stunned world number nine Apriyani Rahayu-Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti of Indonesia 21-18, 21-9 at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena here.
In the nerve-wracking match, the world number 13 Pearly-Thinaah had to fight closely in the first set, before notching a dominating win in the second after a 45-minute battle.
The Olympics debutants, who lost to China’s world champions Chen Qing Chen-Jia Yi Fan on Saturday, bounced back to pull off a pleasant surprise by beating two-time world champions Mayu Matsumoto-Wakana Nagahara from Japan yesterday to revive their hopes.
Earlier, the four-time world champions Qing Chen-Yi Fan topped the group after beating Matsumoto-Nagahara 21-16, 21-15.
The only time Malaysia had a women’s doubles representative in the quarter-finals was at Rio 2016, when Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei went down against eventual champions Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi
In Paris 2024, men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and mixed doubles Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei have secured quater-finals slots, while professional shuttlers Lee Zii Jia (men’s singles) and Goh Jin Wei (women’s singles) would know their fate after their second group stage matches on Wednesday. — Bernama
