Ranked third in the world, Pearly-Thinaah won convincingly in straight sets, 21-13, 21-11, in just 36 minutes at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. Previously, they had lost 13 out of 14 encounters with the Japanese pair, including their last seven meetings.
This marks their fourth final this season, with their previous title win at the Thailand Open.
In tomorrow’s final, they will face either China’s world number one pair Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning or Jia Yi Fan-Zhang Shu Xian. A win would make them the first Malaysian women’s pair to claim the Japan Open title since its inception in 1982.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s top mixed doubles pair, Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, failed to reach their first Super 750 final after losing to China’s Jiang Zhen Bang-Wei Ya Xin in straight sets, 12-21, 16-21. — July 19, 2025
Main photo credit: The Star
