KUALA LUMPUR — Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah face a challenging opener at the 2025 Malaysia Open, as they are set to clash with Indonesia’s Lanny Tria Mayasari and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti in the first round of the prestigious Super 1000 tournament at the Axiata Arena, starting tomorrow.
National women’s doubles head coach Rosman Razak admitted the tournament would be unpredictable, with several top pairs entering with new combinations.
“We have no data (on these new pairings), so it’s very complicated. Previously, we could study their playing styles, but now we’re starting from scratch in a new environment for women’s doubles,” Rosman explained during the court testing session, Bernama reported.
Among the newly formed pairs are Japan’s Misaki Matsutomo-Chiharu Shida and Yuki Fukushima-Mayu Matsumoto, South Korea’s Kim Hye Jeong-Kong Hee Yong, and Indonesia’s Lanny-Siti Fadia.
Rosman has set a target for Pearly-Thinaah, the national number one pair ranked sixth in the world, to reach the semi-finals for the first time at the Malaysia Open.
However, he acknowledged the difficulty of the early rounds.
“It will be quite tricky for them to get past the first and second rounds. Hopefully, they can rise to the challenge and progress as far as possible,” he added.
Meanwhile, 18-year-olds Ong Xin Yee and Carmen Ting are set to make their Malaysia Open debut.
Despite being ranked 125th globally, the pair will face a tough opening match against Taiwan’s world number 22 duo, Shuo Yun Sung and Chien Hui Yu. — January 6, 2025