With a brutal victory over their Korean opponents, Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan made history as the first Malaysian WD pair to reach an Olympic final. Wow, did they deserve this win?
The two were focused and intense from the start. It was death or fame, and they chose fame. The first sentence flew by. The attack was clever and the defense held firm. They exuded a quiet confidence as they took on the Tokyo bronze medalists. A lead of 21-12. How would the Koreans react? That was an incredible beginning.
Korea started the second set more calmly. The serve changed as no one was able to build momentum. 4-4. 5-5. 8-8. Then something flipped the attack switch in Pearly and Thinaah’s gaming brains – the semifinals were calling, and they couldn’t resist the temptation to go for it.
Pearly, in particular, was adept at moving her opponents around to gain space to attack. She was always looking for angles to take advantage of. Thinaah was her reliable support. Nothing got past her. The Koreans were starting to run out of ideas as Malaysia went into the break with a narrow 11-8 lead.
They played relentlessly for a place in the semi-finals. The score kept rising and the partnership went smoothly. The understanding between them and their trust in their strategy was incredibly resilient. Kim/Kong continued to fight hard and were able to regain some points.
At the age of 12-13 I was a little worried as Pearly seemed to have a slight pulling sensation in her hamstrings; Suddenly the Koreans were at level 13-13. Was this the expected backlash?
Fearless and courageous, the Malaysian couple took a deep breath, refocused and found a higher level. Their rivals were forced into unforced errors; They misjudged the current and their challenge began to fade. Pearly and Thinaah were hungry for points. They hadn’t entered the pitch to indulge the Korean’s penchant for long rallies. They were direct and decisive. Nevertheless, things continued to work in their favor.
There was nothing Kim/Kong could do to counter this ongoing attack. As the set progressed, they faded. As they faded, Pearly and Thinaah grew. 18-13, 19-13, 20-13 match point. Surely nothing could stop her now. Never in doubt! 21-13. What an achievement.
If you liked this, check out my friend Rene Biaoli’s article: http://badmintoniacs.wordpress.com
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