NEW DELHI: In an unbelievable and phenomenal display of athleticism and perseverance, the pair of Thinaah Muralitharan and Pearly Tan outlasted their Japanese opponents in the women's doubles badminton match to emerge victorious in a record 211-shot rally at the Malaysia Masters last Thursday.
As the Malaysian pair survived a monumental rally against Ayako Sakuramoto and Rene Miyaura, Thinaah threw her racket in the air in relief while an a completely exhausted Tan was on the floor, trying to catch her breath.
The Malaysian pair were leading Miyaura and Sakuramoto in the final set of their last-16 encounter when the rally began.
More than three minutes later, after a jaw-dropping showcase of athleticism and perseverance, Tan produced a well-disguised drop shot which Sakuramoto could not reach to seal the point, bringing an incredulous crowd to their feet.
"Winning the rally felt like winning the match. I also thought that we won after surviving the rally," said Thinaah.
"I was too excited that it was finally over because it was exhausting and we just wanted it to end fast. When it was over, I really needed a break and I threw the racket as collecting it from the ground gave me some time to rest."
Tan said mental strength was crucial in coming out on top of the "monumental" rally, which left Sakuramoto sprawled on the floor in exhaustion.
"We knew we were tired but the opponent was tired too," Tan said. "In our minds we wanted to win that shot, so we just mentally prepared ourselves very well and I'm so happy we won the point."
At the Korea Open in April last year, another women's doubles match produced a 195-shot rally, which the Badminton World Federation said at the time was a record breaker.
(With inputs from Reuters)
