KUALA LUMPUR, Mac 7 – It was a fairy-tale run for unseeded Malaysian women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah when they nailed the Yonex Swiss Open Super 300 title with an inspiring 21-19, 21-12 win over third-seeded Stoeva sisters Gabriela and Stefanie of Bulgaria in the final in Basel on Sunday.
The Malaysians ranked 30 in the world, stunned the World No 14 opponents to pocket USD 11,060 in prize money that came with the title. The Bulgarian sisters settled for USD 5,320 for their efforts.
It is the first Super 300 for Pearly and Thinaah who have made great strides in their game since coming together in 2019.
The pair reached the quarter-finals in the Yonex Thailand Open and Toyota Thailand Open in Bangkok in January.
Winning the Swiss Open spells of bigger things for Pearly, 20, and Thinaah who is 23. They had dumped their senior compatriots and second seeds Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean in the semi-finals on Saturday – winning 10-21, 21-14, 21-16.
This is the first time they played against the experienced Bulgarians. Riding on their confidence boosted by reaching the final in Basel, the young Malaysians not only kept their composure but had superior court coverage.
They took the break at 11-3 in the first game but lapsed in concentration after that and allowed the Bulgarians back into the picture.
The Malaysians checked their nerves in time and won 21-19. It was an easier second game for Pearly and Thinaah who romped home 21-12 for the historic title win.
Meanwhile, top seed Viktor Axelsen of Denmark won the men’s singles with an easy 21-16, 21-16 win over Thailand’s three-time junior world champion Kunlavit Vitidsarn in the final in 47 minutes.
About The Author
