Jayce
Thai pair Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai faced a crushing defeat on their way to the quarterfinals but bravely acknowledged their shortcomings, which led to their loss.
In the match against Sara Thygesen and Maiken Fruergaard, seven match points came and went—if they had won, it would have been the Thai pair’s second victory in the group stage. Kititharakul and Prajongjai couldn’t withstand the Danish pair’s rear-court attack, and the Danes clinched the match from the jaws of defeat in the third game. The scores of 20-22, 23-21, 24-22 marked the closest and certainly the most nerve-wracking encounter of the Paris 2024 tournament so far.
“There’s not much to say because we really regret it,” Kititharakul said, barely able to speak in the face of painful disappointment. “We could have won in two games, but we gave them the opportunity, so we have to accept that and fight for tomorrow’s match. We must fight; tomorrow will be tough for us, but we must fight.”
Fruergaard and Thygesen Overjoyed
Her partner Prajongjai looked equally dejected but also admitted to her part in the loss: “I put pressure on myself and wasn’t 100% focused on the game plan. When we were leading, they started catching up, and I just lacked confidence. It’s really disappointing that we had such a big lead but couldn’t get that one point.”
The Danish team’s victory is their second in the group, almost guaranteeing them a place in the quarterfinals.
“This was one of the craziest matches, with a lively atmosphere and constant cheering,” Thygesen said. “The match was highly intense… mentally very challenging, with both sides in a tug-of-war. It was a wild and intense game.
“Sometimes we perform best when we are behind. I wasn’t actually that nervous. I was more nervous at the start than at the end. We’re good at telling each other what to do, staying focused, taking it one rally at a time, and pushing through, and they started getting nervous.”
