Pearly-Thinaah to face Korean challenge in Q-finals

HANGZHOU - The country’s top women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M.Thinaah will be facing an uphill task in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games quarter-finals, as the debutants would take on world number two Baek Ha Na-Lee So Hee of South Korea, tomorrow.

Ranked world number nine, Pearly-Thinaah cleared their second round against Thailand’s Jongkolphan Kititharakul-Rawinda Prajongjai 21-15, 21-17 after 39 minutes at the Binjiang Gymnasium here, today.

However, the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games champions’ skills will be put on test against the South Koreans, who is in top form after winning the Asian Games women’s team event title, last Sunday.

"I think every tournament is almost the same, but this is Asian Games (everyone vying for medals). We are really excited and are trying to focus on our own game,” said Pearly.

Thinaah said today’s match was a good win for them and hoped to continue their momentum, tomorrow.

Pearly-Thinaah had played against the South Koreans twice before, where the former emerged victorious in the 2022 French Open semi-final en route to claim the title, while Baek Ha Na-Lee So Hee denied them the 2023 Malaysia Masters title in the finals.

Meanwhile, former men’s doubles world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik also advanced to the quarter-finals after beat Thailand's Supak Jomkoh-Kedren Kittinupong 21-12, 21-14.

The world number five duo is set to battle against China’s world number eight pair, Liu Yu Chen-Ou Xuan Yi for a place in semi-finals.

Men’s singles shuttler Ng Tze Yong, who stunned former world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore yesterday, continued his momentum to beat world number 35, Kantaphon Wangcharoen of Thailand 21-17, 21-12.

World number 19 Tze Yong, is up against world number three, Kodai Naraoka of Japan.

In women’s singles, former world junior champion Goh Jin Wei’s journey ended after going down 6-21, 12-21 to Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia. - BERNAMA