They said they were nervous and had barely slept all night—but on the court, Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan hid those emotions well. The key was how they managed their internal thoughts and external opponents, exuding a calm confidence as they defeated Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong 21-12, 21-13, becoming the first Malaysian women’s doubles pair to reach the semifinals at the Olympics.
It took them a moment to grasp the magnitude of their achievement.
“I still feel like I’m dreaming because from the group stage until now, it hasn’t been easy for us,” said Pearly Tan. “So, it feels unbelievable, but there’s still one more match to go. We need to stay grounded and focus on the next game.
“Today’s match was more about mindset (staying calm); whoever remained calmer would win. I’m glad that when one of us was nervous, we could support each other. I think that’s the most important thing,” Tan added.
“We were thinking about the match all the time, but once we stepped onto the court, we still felt nervous. But fortunately, we had each other,” her partner added.
Their next opponents will be Olympic silver medalists and four-time world champions Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan, whom they defeated in the group stage with scores of 21-17 and 22-20. But that match can wait. For now, the Malaysian pair can take pride in their decisive victory over the world number 10 Korean pair.
“Right now, we don’t want to think too much about the next match. We just want to recover well—eat well, sleep well, discuss strategies with each other and with the coach, and prepare for tomorrow’s match,” said Muralitharan.
“We came here with dreams, so we just want to give it our all in every match. We want to stay focused until the shuttle touches the ground. There’s still more to play for.”
Meanwhile, Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan moved one step closer to their first Olympic gold, defeating Bulgaria’s sisters Stefani and Gabriela Stoeva in just 41 minutes with a score of 21-15, 21-8.
There was more to celebrate for China as their young duo, Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning, aged 20 and 21, respectively, knocked out the second seeds Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na. The Chinese world number three pair will face fourth seeds Chiharu Shida and Nami Matsuyama next, who cruised past Maiken Fruergaard and Sara Thygesen in the quarterfinals with a score of 21-7, 21-12.
In the men’s singles quarterfinals, world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn defeated Kenta Nishimoto 16-21, 21-14, 21-12, setting up a thrilling clash with world number one Shi Yuqi.
Japan’s hopes in men’s singles were dashed as the other Japanese player in the draw, Kodai Naraoka, also lost in the same stage to Chou Tien-chen, with a score of 21-12, 21-16.
“I felt a lot of pressure in the first game. I didn’t think too much. Controlling the shuttle was very difficult, and the wind was strong. It was important to stay aggressive, and the shuttle was slow,” Vitidsarn said.
“I need to learn because this is the biggest tournament. Now (next opponent) Shi Yuqi is very strong, with great tactics and performance. I have to do my best.
“My attack was good today, but I’m not sure about tomorrow because some players are different, right? I have to keep pushing.”
