In a heart-wrenching battle at the Japan Open final, Malaysian women’s doubles duo Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah faced off against the world’s top pair, Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning of China, ultimately falling short in Tokyo today.

The highly anticipated match kicked off at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, with both teams tightly matched early on at 6-6. However, it didn't take long for the reigning champions to shift into high gear.

Sheng Shu and Tan Ning quickly seized control, surging ahead to a commanding 19-10 lead before clinching the first game 21-15. They maintained their momentum in the second game, bolting to a 4-0 lead and extending it to 14-7, ultimately wrapping up the match 21-14 in just 45 minutes.

This defeat marks another setback for Pearly and Thinaah, who were looking to avenge their earlier loss to the same opponents in last month’s Indonesia Open final, where they narrowly lost after a thrilling match that ended 25-23, 12-21, 19-21.

Today's final also highlights a challenging record for the Malaysian pair, with this being their ninth loss in just 12 encounters against Sheng Shu and Tan Ning.

Despite the disappointment, Pearly and Thinaah will take home USD 33,250 (approximately RM141,000) as runners-up, while the champions celebrate with a substantial USD 70,300 (about RM298,000).

With this achievement, the duo has matched the legacy of Malaysian legends Wong Pei Tty and Chin Eei Hui, who were runners-up in the Japan Open back in 2008.

On a brighter note, the dynamic pair continues to build on a strong season, having won the Thailand Open in May and finishing as runners-up at the Indonesia Masters in January. Their journey is far from over, and fans are eager to see how they bounce back from this defeat.