KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 27 — Although there was a significant improvement in their performance last year, top national women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah are still a step behind current world number one Liu Sheng Shu–Tan Ning of China.

National women’s doubles head coach Rosman Razak admitted that Pearly–Thinaah need to work harder to close the gap on the outstandingly consistent Chinese pair, who triumphed at the World Championships 2025 in Paris and also clinched two Super 100 titles at the Indonesia Open and China Open last year.