KUALA LUMPUR: World No. 7 Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah's long-awaited return to form materialised on Friday as they stormed into their first semi-finals in six tournaments at the India Open.
The Malaysian pair defeated last week's Malaysia Open champions Yuki Fukushima-Mayu Matsumoto 21-18, 21-19 in a display that rekindled memories of their hot streak last year.
The victory over the red-hot Japanese combination - who have reached three semi-finals in their brief partnership - signals Pearly-Thinaah's genuine title credentials at this Super 750 tournament.
It marks a revival for the Pearly-Thinaah who have endured a challenging period since their golden run between August and October last year, when they clinched the Hong Kong Open crown and finished runners-up at both the Korea Open and Arctic Open.
Their form had nosedived after the Finland stop, managing only two quarter-finals appearances while suffering three early exits, including a shock first-round defeat to Indonesia's Lanny Tria Mayasari-Siti Fadia Ramadanthi at last week's home tournament.
"This win means a lot after last week's disappointment. We wanted to start fresh here and leaving the past behind has worked well," said Thinaah.
The 25-year-old credited coach Rosman Razak's emphasis on mental preparation as key to their resurgence.
"Coach Rosman's focus on maintaining our concentration and sticking to our strategy has been crucial. We had been losing our way on court lately, but his guidance has helped us stay sharp," she added.
Pearly, meanwhile, savoured the revenge victory over Fukushima-Matsumoto, who had defeated them in the Kumamoto Masters first round before reaching the final there and making the China Masters semi-finals.
"They're incredibly good with their attack and they also thrive in long rallies. We came prepared today and bolstered our defence. I think we did really well," said Pearly.