Pearly: 'To stand on the highest podium today means a lot to us'

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian women's doubles pair Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah overcame injury setbacks and personal heartbreak to win their first title since January at the Denmark Open. The pair defeated Japan's Hinata Suzuki and Nao Yamakita 21-18, 21-11 in 36 minutes to secure their second title of the season, earning them US$70,300 and making them the first Malaysian women's doubles pair to win the tournament since 2008.

Pearly said the victory carried added meaning after everything they had endured together, stating, "I think we are getting stronger again after the past few months. A lot has happened to both of us, with injuries and good and bad things." Their previous title came in January when Japan's Arisa Igarashi and Miyu Takahashi withdrew from the final, ending Malaysia's 15-year wait for the crown since 2011.

Pearly's season was disrupted by a recurring back injury, forcing her to miss the Uber Cup, Thailand Open, and Malaysia Masters while undergoing rehabilitation. Thinaah's grandmother passed away on August 21, and her pet rabbit, Roger, died three weeks later. They turned their fortunes around by winning bronze at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, ending Malaysia's 12-year wait for a women's doubles medal at the Games.

In Odense, their quarter-final comeback against India's Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand marked a turning point in their title-winning campaign. Thinaah said they wanted to keep improving and not stop at this win, planning to head to the French Open next.