KUALA LUMPUR: Pearly Tan-M.Thinaah's run in the World Championships in Tokyo ended in heartbreak when they crashed out in the third round today.
Despite the odds stacked against them, Pearly-Thinaah will rue their missed chances, after succumbing 21-16, 21-16 to world No 5 Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida of Japan.
In what seemed to be a game of mental endurance, the Japanese reigned supreme as they extended their head-to-head record against the world No 11 Malaysians to 6-0.
For the homesters, it will be their second consecutive quarter-finals at the world meet.
"Today, I did not see Pearly-Thinaah losing to the Japanese pair because of technique or strategy. They lost because of what was in their mind, they gave their opponents too much respect.
"If they want to overcome this Japanese pair (or other top pairs), they will need to shake off the past," said BAM coaching director Rexy Mainaky.
Nami-Shida, who lost in the last eight in Spain last year, will face the winners of the all-South Korean tie between Jeong Na Eun-Kim Hye Jeong and Kim So Yeong-Kong Hee Yong next.
As for Pearly-Thinaah, their quest to become a world top five pair continues with the Japan Open next week.
Earlier, another Malaysian duo, Vivian Hoo-Lim Chiew Sien hit a brick wall, going down 21-13, 21-16 to third seeds Lee So Hee-Shin Seung Chan of South Korea.
SELECTED RESULTS (Malaysians unless stated)
Third Round
Men's singles: Viktor Axelsen (Den) bt Thammasin Sitthikom (Tha) 21-19, 21-16; Chou Tien Chen (Tai) bt Lee Cheuk Yiu (Hkg) 21-16, 17-21, 21-18; Jonatan Christie (Ina) bt Wang Tzu Wei (Tai) 24-22, 21-16.
Men's doubles: Ben Lane-Sean Vendy (Eng) bt Marcus Fernaldi Gideon-Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (Ina) 21-15, 21-9; Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Rian Ardianto (Ina) bt Akira Koga-Taichi Sato (Jpn) 21-19, 21-16; Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty (Ind) bt Jeppe Bay-Lasse Molhede (Den) 21-12, 21-10; Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan (Ina) bt Mark Lamfuss-Marvin Seidel (Ger) 21-18, 23-21; Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi (Jpn) bt Alexander Dunn-Adam Hall (Sco) 21-12, 21-14; Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik bt Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani 21-17, 21-19.
Women's singles: An Se Young (Kor) bt Zhang Beiwen (Usa) 21-12, 21-10; Michelle Li (Can) bt Ratchanok Intanon (Tha) 25-23, 16-21, 21-13; Caroline Marin (Spa) bt He Bingjiao (Chn) 16-21, 21-15, 22-20; Tai Tzu Ying (Tai) bt Vu Thi Trang (Vie) 21-15, 21-10; Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn) bt Sayaka Takahashi (Jpn) 21-18, 21-7; Chen Yu Fei (Chn) bt Pornpawee Chocuwong (Tha) 21-17, 17-21, 21-10.
Women's doubles: Mayu Matsumoto-Wakana Nagahara (Jpn) bt Du Yue-Li Wen Mei (Chn) 21-13, 21-9; Chen Qing Chen-Jia Yi Fan (Chn) bt Maiken Fruergaard-Sara Thygesen (Den) 21-15, 21-9; Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida (Jpn) bt Pearly Tan-M.Thinaah 21-16, 21-16; Lee So Hee-Shin Seung Chan (Kor) bt Vivian Hoo-Lim Chiew Sien 21-13, 21-16; Jonkolphan Kititharakul-Rawinda Prajongjai (Tha) bt Rin Iwanaga-Kie Nakanishi (Jpn) 19-21, 21-10, 21-12;
Mixed doubles: Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai bt Thom Gicquel-Delphine Delrue (Fra) 21-16, 21-4; Yuta Watanabe-Arisa Higashino (Jpn) bt Robin Tabeling-Selena Piek (Ned) 21-12, 21-19; Zheng Si Wei-Huang Ya Qiong (Chn) bt Supak Jomkoh-Supissara Paewsampran (Tha) 21-9, 19-21, 21-19; Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet (Hkg) bt Terry Hee Yong Kai-Jessica Tan Wei Han (Sin) 21-10, 21-15; Seo Seung Jae-Chae Yu Jung (Kor) bt Fehan Naufal Kusharjanto-Lisa Ayu Kusumawati (Ina) 23-21, 21-12; Wang Yi Lyu-Huang Dong Ping (Chn) bt Rinov Rivaldy-Pitha Haningtyas Mentari (Ina) 21-16, 21-14; Mark Lamfuss-Isabel Lohau (Ger) bt Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Tha) 21-16, 21-14; Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing bt Kyohei Yamashita-Naru Shinoya (Jpn) 21-12, 21-14.