Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah are set for another fiery battle at next week’s Arctic Open against China’s world No. 1 pair, Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning.
As second seeds, Pearly-Thinaah should face little trouble against Austria’s world No. 73 Serena Au Yong and Anna Hagspiel in the opening round, and are expected to overcome Taiwan’s world No. 11 Hsieh Pei Shan and Hung En Tzu in the semi-final, before a likely clash with Sheng Shu-Tan Ning in the final.
Europe has been a strong hunting ground for the Malaysian women’s doubles world No. 2. They won a historic silver medal at the Paris World Championships in August, claimed their first Super 750 title at the French Open in 2022, and were runners-up at the Arctic Open last year.
Still, Thinaah prefers to focus on the present.
“After finishing the Asian tour, we’re excited to head to Europe next. We’ll stay positive, focus on ourselves, and give our best. Past results are already behind us; we’re always looking forward. The players from other countries are also strong, so we must always be ready,” said Thinaah.
This will be their fourth final meeting with Sheng Shu-Tan Ning this year, having lost to the Chinese duo at the Indonesia Open, Japan Open, World Championships, and the Arctic Open last year.
The Malaysian pair, currently world No. 2, hope the Arctic Open will bring them closer to overtaking the top spot.
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