Pearly Tan-M.Thinaah have made history by becoming the first Malaysian women's doubles pair to secure a medal at the World Championships.
The world number two are assured of a medal after they beat Bulgarian sisters Gabriela-Stefani Stoeva 21-15, 21-10 in the quarter-finals on Friday.
Their 32-minute victory means the national pair will claim a bronze medal regardless of their semi-final result against Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida on Saturday.
In the history of the World Championships, no Malaysian women's pair have stood on the podium before.
Tan-Thinaah came closest back in 2023 when they reached the quarter-finals before crashing out.
This time, they ensured history did not repeat itself.
Tan-Thinaah overcame a feisty start from the Stoeva sisters to pull away at the end of the first game courtesy of their consistent attacking which wilted their opponents' defence.
The Thailand Open champions continued to fire away at the Europeans in the second game, forcing them to defend deep before eventually sealing the comfortable victory.
Tan-Thinaah must now focus on a much bigger test against their Japanese opponents in the semis, whom they last beat at the Japan Open in July.
Mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei also made it to the semis in their match against Indian pair Dhruv Kapila-Tanisha Crasto, which they comfortably won 21-15, 21-13.
The world number two are assured of a medal after they beat Bulgarian sisters Gabriela-Stefani Stoeva 21-15, 21-10 in the quarter-finals on Friday.
Their 32-minute victory means the national pair will claim a bronze medal regardless of their semi-final result against Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida on Saturday.
In the history of the World Championships, no Malaysian women's pair have stood on the podium before.
Tan-Thinaah came closest back in 2023 when they reached the quarter-finals before crashing out.
This time, they ensured history did not repeat itself.
Tan-Thinaah overcame a feisty start from the Stoeva sisters to pull away at the end of the first game courtesy of their consistent attacking which wilted their opponents' defence.
The Thailand Open champions continued to fire away at the Europeans in the second game, forcing them to defend deep before eventually sealing the comfortable victory.
Tan-Thinaah must now focus on a much bigger test against their Japanese opponents in the semis, whom they last beat at the Japan Open in July.
Mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei also made it to the semis in their match against Indian pair Dhruv Kapila-Tanisha Crasto, which they comfortably won 21-15, 21-13.
