MOURNS over Ratchanok loss, Yamaguchi Dashes Thai Badminton Hope
THAILAND suffered another blow yesterday when medal hope Ratchanok Intanon was knocked out of the badminton women’s singles round of 16 by Japanese arch-rival Akane Yamaguchi 21-19 21-16 at the Riocentro Pavilion 4.
Ratchanok’s unexpected defeat numbed the nation, which saw several medal hopes go empty handed. World No 1 skeet shooter Sutiya Jiewchaloemmit failed to advance to the final while favourite Chatchai Butdee lost his bout at the quarter-final stage.
However, the premature exit of the former world No 1 Ratchanok is by far the biggest shock. Before her trip to Rio, she made history by becoming the first player ever to win three Superseries titles in succession. She seemed a sure bet for a medal in Rio, but the huge expectations may have taken a toll.
Against Yamaguchi, whom she had beaten twice this year, Ratchanok was never herself, making many errors and being outplayed by the 12th ranked player, who mixed up the pace and showed a variety of shots to dominate the match, which lasted just 46 minutes.
“I was unable to control my emotions. I put myself under pressure. I made easy mistakes. I let her play her game,” said Ratchanok.
“The Olympics is a big event. Many expected a lot from me. It’s hard to cope with the pressure out there. I hope I can do better in the next Olympics,” added Ratchanok, whose best run in the Olympics remains a place in the quarter-finals in 2012.
However Porntip Buranaprasertsuk kept Thai badminton hopes alive, reaching the quarter-finals by defeating Maria Ulitina of Ukraine 21-14 21-16 in 39 minutes.
“I didn’t have to play a seeded player. She is tall but didn’t move well. So I tried to make her move and not give her easy points. She is also not mentally solid,” said Porntip, who has a big hurdle waiting for her in the next round as she will face defending champion Li Xuerui of China.
“‘Li uses a lot of drop shots. I have to stay in the rallies, stick to my game plan and create opportunities,” said Porntip, who lost the last seven matches to the Chinese including their latest in the Asian championship in China four months ago.
“It will be a tough fight. I have to control my breath and stay focused. Although she had a better record, it still depends on the momentum. Who controls the game better, can win,” she said.
Thus far, two gold medals, one silver and one bronze, all from weightlifting, is not bad for the Thai squad, which was expected to win only a gold. The Kingdom still have an opportunity to exceed the expectations from the taekwondo team, world No 2 Ariya Jutanugarn in women’s golf, which starts today, and female boxer Piamwilai Laopiam.
Ariya, meanwhile, had a practice round on Tuesday and said the challenge ahead is big.
“This is a long course with a lot of slopes on the greens. They said it was windy here but we all have to face the same conditions. It’s our job to adjust to it,” said Ariya, who was touted by former world No 1 Annika Sorenstam as one of the favourites to win.
“I’m not under pressure at all. I feel honoured to play under the national flag. Every time I play for the country, I’m more determined to put in the maximum and that will bring good results,” Ariya said.
