AICHI, Sept 28 — A relentless tempo from start to finish in the deciding set proved the difference as Malaysia's Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan had to settle for bronze after falling to China's Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning in the women's doubles semifinals at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games.
At the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium, the world No. 5 pair threw everything at their opponents before going down 21-16, 20-22, 12-21 in a gruelling 85-minute battle against the world No. 1 duo.
Pearly said they controlled the first two sets, but Sheng Shu-Ning maintained the same pace and focus through the decider, piling the pressure on them.
"In the first and second sets, we were still able to control the game, but in the third, they kept the same speed and the same focus, and I think that put a lot of pressure on us," she said.
Pearly admitted they also lacked composure at crucial points, while the Chinese pair showed far more maturity in handling the big moments.
The defeat shut the door on a final berth, but Pearly-Thinaah still signed off with bronze, matching Malaysia's best-ever women's doubles result since badminton made its Asian Games debut in 1962.
The previous bronze medals came through Tan Gaik Bee-Ng Mei Ling in Jakarta 1962, Rosalind Singha Ang-Teoh Siew Yong in Bangkok 1970, and Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei in Incheon 2014.
Thinaah said they were taking the positives from the loss and would review the match to pinpoint areas that need work.
After the Asian Games, she said they would head home to Malaysia for about a week of recovery before resuming their campaign on the European tour in Denmark and France.
