M. Thinaah said she was thankful for former national doubles shuttler Tan Boon Heong's presence and involvement at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM).

The national body made an unofficial arrangement for the former world number one to spar with the national women’s doubles pairs.

Since then, Tan checked into ABM several times after Thinaah and her partner Pearly Tan returned from their assignments in Europe.

“Boon Heong has helped a lot, especially on the gameplay and strategy. He has plenty of tricky shots which have helped us, so it’s been good,” said Thinaah.

The help rendered to the French Open champions should come in handy for the season finale World Tour Finals taking place in Bangkok next week.

“Everyone has a fighting chance, and for us it’s been the same just focusing on our preparations and going there to give our best,” she said.

Rexy expressed his high confidence in the pair reproducing the same performance like they did in Paris last month.

“Pearly-Thinaah are more mature in their thinking and they have been in great form. If they can maintain that same level, they can repeat their French Open success,” he said.

Besides the historic win in Paris, Thinaah-Tan cemented their reputation as one of the most consistent national pairs as they also reached three semi-finals on the BWF World Tour and won the women’s doubles gold at the Commonwealth Games in August.

The world number nine pair are up against some of the top contenders in Bangkok, with Chen Qing Chen-Jia Yi Fan and Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida among them.

Vivian Hoo-Lim Chiew Sien are the other Malaysian women's doubles pair competing at this year's World Tour Finals.