Badminton

Pearly-Thinaah battle to get back into world's top eight

KUALA LUMPUR: Pearly Tan-M.Thinaah's tournament planning will depend on whether they can qualify for the season-ending World Tour Finals.

National women's doubles coach Hoon Thien How said it will all depend on how the world No 11 pair fare in the Super 750 Denmark Open next week, and the French Open the following week.

After being sidelined for about six weeks due to knee injury, Pearly has been cleared to play alongside Thinaah in Odense and Paris.

But because they are out of the top eight on the World Tour ranking, they may have to head to Germany for the Hylo Open on Nov 1-6, though this was not part of the original plan.

"It all depends. Pearly-Thinaah have been cleared to play in Denmark but we will monitor their performance and ranking," Thien How said today.

"Currently, they are out of the top eight on the World Tour ranking. If they can do well in Denmark and France and qualify for the World Tour Finals (Guangzhou), we will pull them out of the Hylo Open.

"However, if they are still chasing ranking points after Denmark and France, they will go to Germany," added Thien How.

Pearly-Thinaah were doing reasonably well this season, until Pearly sustained her injury at the Japan Open last month.

Lucky for her, the injury was not as serious as BAM had initially feared.

Earlier, BAM doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky said the 2021 Swiss Open champions have what it takes to be a top five pair in the world.

Meanwhile national men's doubles coach Tan Bin Shen believes that world No 4 Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik are now playing with more confidence and maturity since winning the World Championships in late August.

The Denmark Open will be their first tournament since the world meet in Tokyo.

"I have no worries, Aaron-Wooi Yik are very mature now. Despite it being their first tournament since the world meet, I am confident they know what to do and how to manage expectations," he said.

The other national pairs in the fray are Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani and Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun.

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