Pearly-Thinaah maintain winning momentum, set up all-Malaysian clash

KUALA LUMPUR: Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah picked up where they left off in Denmark as they cruised into the French Open second round on Wednesday, setting up an all-Malaysian showdown with Ong Xin Yee-Carmen Ting.

Fresh from their Denmark Open triumph on Sunday, the world No. 4 took 37 minutes to brush aside Turkiye's Bengisu Ercetin-Nazlican Inci 21-11, 21-15 at Arena Grand Paris.

The second seeds were in control throughout the match as they continued to build on the momentum following last week's Super 750 triumph, their first title since January.

Pearly-Thinaah were pleased with their opening performance but acknowledged there was still room for improvement.

"We did well, but there are still things we need to take note of on court," said Thinaah in a post-match interview released by the Badminton World Federation.

"For now, we just want to get some good rest and recovery before tomorrow's game."

Pearly also noted that the shuttles were slightly slower at the new venue but said the conditions were the same for everyone.

Pearly-Thinaah will now turn their attention to Thursday's second-round encounter against their younger compatriots as they continue their pursuit of a second French Open crown.

The tournament holds special memories for the Malaysians, who made their breakthrough in 2022 by becoming the country's first women's doubles champions at the French Open.

That victory marked a turning point in their careers and helped establish them among the world's leading pairs.

Their return this year has also come at an encouraging time, with Sunday's Denmark Open triumph lifting them back into the world's top four.

Meanwhile, world No. 27 Xin Yee-Carmen were equally convincing in their opening match, taking also 37 minutes to dispatch home pair Margot Lambert-Camille Pognante 21-11, 21-12.

The victory was satisfying for the young Malaysians, who avenged their first-round defeat to the same French combination at last year's tournament.

Xin Yee-Carmen had lost in three games on that occasion but made no mistake this time to book a meeting with their more illustrious compatriots.

The all-Malaysian clash also guarantees the country at least one women's doubles quarter-finalist at the Super 750 event.