Tokyo: Malaysian women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan are on the verge of making history as they enter the final of the Japan Open 2025, where they will face world No. 1 pair Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning of China.
Watch Highlights of Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan vs. Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida in 2025 Japan Open semi-finals:
Ranked No. 3 in the world, Pearly and Thinaah delivered a stellar performance in the semifinals by defeating home favorites Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida 21-13, 21-11 in just 36 minutes at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. This marked their second win in 15 meetings against the Japanese duo, breaking a painful losing streak of seven straight defeats.
This will be their fourth final of the season following appearances at the Indonesia Masters, Thailand Open (where they won), and the Indonesia Open.
Their final showdown will be against top-seeded Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning, who ousted fellow Chinese duo Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian 21-7, 21-16. The challenge is formidable—Pearly and Thinaah have only beaten Liu/Tan three times in 11 encounters and have lost the last four.
A win would not only give Malaysia its first-ever women’s doubles title at the Japan Open since the tournament’s inception in 1982 but would also etch Pearly-Thinaah’s names into the history books. The best Malaysian result to date was a runner-up finish by Chin Eei Hui and Wong Pei Tty in 2008.
Should Pearly and Thinaah win, they will take home US$70,300 (~RM298,500), while the runners-up will earn US$33,250 (~RM141,182).
Speaking after their semifinal victory, Thinaah shared:
“We didn’t think too much about the lead. We focused on each point and supported one another throughout.”
Pearly added:
“Patience and composure made the difference. We stayed focused and didn’t rush.”
Looking ahead, they both stressed the importance of recovery, game planning, and mental readiness to deliver their best performance in the final.
🏸 Women’s Singles – Semifinal Recap:
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An Se Young (KOR, 1) def. Riko Gunji (JPN): 21-12, 21-10
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Wang Zhi Yi (CHN, 2) def. Akane Yamaguchi (JPN, 3): 21-15, 21-18
Final: An Se Young vs Wang Zhi Yi – July 20 on Court 1, Est. 11:50 AM
🏸 Mixed Doubles – Semifinal Recap:
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Dechapol Puavaranukroh / Supissara Paewsampran (THA, 5) def. Feng Yan Zhe / Huang Dong Ping (CHN, 1): 21-13, 21-17
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Jiang Zhen Bang / Wei Ya Xin (CHN, 2) def. Chen Tang Jie / Toh Ee Wei (MAS, 4): 21-12, 21-16
Final: Dechapol/Supissara vs Jiang/Wei – July 20 on Court 1, 11:00 AM
