KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 — Malaysia’s women’s doubles campaign at the India Open ended in frustration as Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah fell to Japan’s Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto in straight sets in New Delhi today.
The semi-final at the Indira Gandhi Arena followed a familiar script. Fukushima–Matsumoto, who have now beaten the Malaysians three times in a row, established control early and rarely looked unsettled.
Tan–Thinaah, the world No. 2 pair, struggled to generate rhythm, leaking unforced errors that allowed the Japanese duo to dictate the pace en route to a 21–16 first game.
The second game quickly slipped away. A 0–5 start put the Malaysians under immediate pressure, and the situation worsened when Pearly required treatment for an ankle issue with the score at 9–1.
Her movement was visibly compromised from that moment, forcing Thinaah to shoulder much of the workload. Even she needed treatment on her palm later in the game at 6–16, underscoring a physically taxing afternoon for the pair.
Despite their efforts to stay competitive, Fukushima–Matsumoto closed out the match 21–13 with composed rallies and steadier serving.
