Malaysia’s top women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah suffered an unexpected early exit at the Singapore Open after losing to Thailand in the second round.
Despite entering the tournament as the second seeds and strong favourites, Pearly-Thinaah were beaten 21-16, 21-19 in just 37 minutes.
Pearly said she was relieved to have completed the match without any injury but admitted that the pair did not perform at their usual level.
She added that their opponents played well and applied consistent pressure throughout the match, which contributed to their defeat.
The Malaysian duo started strongly in the opening set but began to make unforced errors midway through, allowing the Thai pair to take control and secure the first set.
They attempted a comeback in the second set, but were unable to overcome the momentum of their opponents, who closed out the match in straight sets.
The result marks a disappointing exit for the pair despite high expectations heading into the tournament.
