Teen Thasaporn rises above personal tragedy to win title for late dad
Braving a personal tragedy and odds, Thasaporn Naklo upset Kamonwan Buayam in the final of the Hua Hin Open Masters tennis tournament at the True Arena Hua Hin on Sunday and dedicated her maiden professional win to her late father.
ขอชื่นชมน้อง Thasaporn Naklo ที่แม้จะต้องประสปกับเรื่องที่สะเทือนอารมณ์อย่างมากในชีวิต แต่น้องสามารถเล่นรายการที่หัวหินจนจบ แถมได้แชมป์แรกด้วย จิตใจเข้มแข็งมากๆ เป็นอะไรที่ยากมากๆสำหรับใครคนหนึ่งที่จะสามารถทำได้ในสถานการณ์แบบนี้
Posted by Lerla Seles on Sunday, December 27, 2020
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The 19-year-old, who lost her father in a car accident last week, had to remain mentally tough to stay in the tournament in order to realise his dream of her winning the title.
“This victory is for my dad,” a tearful Thasaporn said. “I had to have a strong will this week to try and achieve this for him. It would be my last present for him,” added the emotional Thasaporn, who fought back from a set down to beat her more experienced rival 3-6 6-2 6-0 in the women’s final.
On Wednesday, her father Somchai, 52, died in a road accident when he was driving back to Bangkok after meeting his daughter in Hua Hin.
Instead of withdrawing from the competition, the teenager had to summon all her reserves of courage and concentration to stay in the tournament, believing this would be the path her father would have wanted her to pursue. She had to go back and forth between Hua Hin and Bangkok (198km) every day in order to attend the funeral and also stay in the tournament.
Even runner-up Kamonwan could not hold back tears during the award presentation.
“If this had happened to me, I don’t think I could have carried on the way she did,” she said.
Apart from the Bt55,000 prize money, Thasaporn also received a special scholarship of Bt50,000 from the Lawn Tennis Association of Thailand honorary president Suwat Liptapanlop.
Thasaporn is currently studying in the US. She returned to Thailand for a pre-season training and is scheduled to go back soon.
In the men's singles final showdown, Pruchya Isaro finally won at this venue after he settled score with Palaphoom Kovapitukted with a straight set victory 7-5 6-0. The 25-year-old from Songkhla had lost two finals in the previous legs including a defeat to Palaphoom in the openening circuit in early November. He also lost to Palaphoom in three sets in the round-robin stage earlier this week.
Pruchya who won the Bt52,000 prize money for his victory has bagged two singles title this season. His previous occured last month in the Singha TATP Tour in Nonthaburi.
