JAKARTA, Jan 26 — Malaysia’s Pearly Tan and M Thinaah fell short of clinching the women’s doubles title at the Indonesia Masters after losing to South Korea’s Kim Hye Jeong and Kong Hee Yong in a gripping final today.
The world No 7 pair were edged out 12-21, 21-17, 18-21 in a 74-minute battle at Istora Senayan in Jakarta.
The South Korean duo, ranked 29th worldwide, had also defeated Pearly and Thinaah in the India Open semi-finals last week.
Despite showing determination to recover after a sluggish start in the first game, the Malaysian Olympic semi-finalists could not overcome the South Koreans’ strong defence and coordination.
While Pearly and Thinaah staged a spirited fightback in the second and third games, their opponents maintained consistency and capitalised on fewer mistakes to seal their victory.
The win marked the second straight triumph for Kim and Kong over the Malaysians, extending their head-to-head record to 2-0.
It was reported that, Pearly and Thinaah, as runners-up, earned US$18,050 (RM79,251) for their performance.
