Major mission for Peangtarn
Thai No 2 Peangtarn Plipuech is poised at making her first appearance in a Major as she maximized all effort to go deep in the on-going US$25,000 ITF women’s Circuit at the True Arena in Hua Hin this week.
The 24-year-old world No 260 beat Anastasia Pivovarova of Russia 3-6 7-5 6-3 yesterday to reach the quarter-final at this same arena (in May) where she lifted up one of her two US$25,000 ITF titles this season. Back-to-back US$25,000 wins including the second one in Goyang, South Korea (after Hua Hin) propelled Peangtarn to a career highest at No 175 in June.
Ranked inside the top 200, Peangtarn should be eligible for the French Open qualifying but the cut off for Roland Garros was made a week before the points she gained in South Korea would be added. So she was not in the list.
Furthermore, she had to ignore the US Open qualifying in August as she was committed to the SEA Games in Malaysia. With her ranking slipping to outside the top 250 this week (as she failed to defend her crown in Tsukuba which coincided with the SEA Games), the Thai No 2 player had to start all over again in hope she can reach the top 210 by December in hope to qualify for the Australian Open.
“To miss Wimbledon and the US Open when I had the chance to play, it was so painful for me. I’ve always dreamed of playing in a Major,” said Peangtarn who was part of the Thailand’s SEA Games women’s gold medal team in Kuala Lumpur.
“I have to earn around 50 points to be in the top 210 which will guarantee a spot in the qualifying list of the Australian Open. A short cut will be to win the title this week but it’s not easy,” said Peangtarn who just reached her first WTA level doubles final with Thai No 1 Luksika Kumkhum in South Korea on Sunday.
“I’m still tired from playing in Incheon last week. I have to play top seed Arantxa Rus (Netherlands) who won here last year. It will be very tough for me but I hope she doesn’t like my game,” said the Thai who loves to mix up a variety of shots.
However, if not winning this week, Peangtarn still has four events to gain points in WTA events in Hong Kong and Mumbai, a US$125K WTA Series in Hua Hin (November) and a US$60,000 ITF in Toyota.
“I have to play from the qualifying rounds in those events as which are big events. It won’t be easy to win a round or two. But I still feel positive that I can qualify in Melbourne,” she concluded.
