KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 27 — Although there was a significant improvement in their performance last year, top national women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah are still a step behind current world number one Liu Sheng Shu–Tan Ning of China.

National women’s doubles head coach Rosman Razak admitted that Pearly–Thinaah need to work harder to close the gap on the outstandingly consistent Chinese pair, who triumphed at the World Championships 2025 in Paris and also clinched two Super 100 titles at the Indonesia Open and China Open last year.

“We are trying to close the gap. At the end of every championship, win or lose, we will review the existing training programme (to see whether it is effective or not), but it is an ongoing process,” he told reporters after a training session here today.

Rosman, however, believes that world number two Pearly–Thinaah’s feat in bagging their first title of the year at the Indonesia Masters in Jakarta on Sunday (January 25) will spur them to greater heights.

This is despite Pearly–Thinaah, runners-up at the World Championships last August, winning it without having to lift their racquets after their final opponents, Arisa Igarashi–Miyu Takahashi of Japan, conceded a walkover.

It was previously reported that Takahashi was unable to play due to a fever.

The triumph meant that Pearly–Thinaah became the first Malaysian women’s doubles pair to win the title in the tournament since Vivian Hoo–Woon Khei last won it in 2011.

Pearly–Thinaah have competed in three tournaments so far this season.

Rosman, meanwhile, hopes that Pearly–Thinaah, the SEA Games Thailand 2025 gold medallists, can continue to maintain the momentum and consistency they displayed last season, which led them to win three titles — the Thailand Open, Arctic Open and Japan Masters.

“We have to take it as a challenge, and try to at least maintain what they achieved last year. At the end of the day, we must remember that their long-term plan is to win an Olympic medal.

“It is not just about this year, as we want them to be able to continue to play for a long time. We are also concerned about their emotions and the pressure they face,” he said.

Pearly–Thinaah missed out on a medal in their 2024 Paris Olympic debut, going down 11-21, 11-21 to Nami Matsuyama–Chiharu Shida of Japan in the bronze medal playoff. — Bernama