Pearly-Thinaah kick off their Japan Open campaign by crushing world number two pair

KUALA LUMPUR: National doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah opened their Japan Open campaign in superb style by edging South Korea's Lee Soo Hee-Shin Seung Chan, the world number two pair, in a match that went the distance at the Maruzen Intec Arena in Osaka, Japan.

Pearly-Thinaah who lost to Japan's fifth seeds in the third round of the World Championships in Tokyo, last week, beat the South Koreans 16-21, 21-14 and 21-18 in three games.

The Commonwealth Games gold medal winning pair, ranked 11th in the world now, moved into the second round of the competition with the win.

Another Malaysian pair Vivian Hoo-Lim Chiew Sien also moved into the second round after beating Germany's Linda Efler-Isabel Lohau 21-17, 23-21.

In the mixed doubles competition, Cheng Tang Jie-Peck Yen Wei lost to Hoo Pang Ron-Toh Ee Wei 21-23, 24-22 and 21-17 in an all Malaysian encounter.

Two other pairs were also shown the exit in the men's doubles and women's doubles competition when Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani lost their men's doubles match to Muhammad Shohibul-Bagas Maulana 17-21, 21-18, 19-21 in three games while Anna Ching Yik Cheong-Teoh Mei Xing were beaten by China's Liu Xuan Xuan-Xia Yu Ting 21-9, 21-14 in the women's doubles.

-- BERNAMA