First round clash : World n°1 OUT !

Thailand sent their best mixed doubles pairs to Paris, where the audience was witness some high level at Stade Pierre de Coubertin. For over an hour, both players fought hard to win their ticket for the next round. For the second time in the row, the world number one, Dechapol PUAVARANUKROH and Sapsiree TAERATTANACHAI, were defeated by a very promising pair from China, HUANG Dong Ping/FENG Yan Zhe.

The world number 1 from Thailand Dechapol PUAVARANUKROH/Sapsiree TAERATTANACHAI faced a brand new pair. The Chinese HUANG Dong Ping, gold medalist at Tokyo 2020, is now playing with a new partner. Her experience will be very useful to guide FENG Yan Zhe in order to play at top level. This new association is very promising. Together, they appeared for their first Super 750 tournament in Odense last week and managed to reach the final.

What a better chance than playing the world number one as a first round match? A real challenge indeed but not an impossible task. Indeed, the Chinese defeated them last week in straight games.

Today, both pairs held the audience spellbound with incredible rallies. The Chinese seemed to have played forever together. Their footwork looks completely aligned and they found their place quite easily on the Parisian court.

The Chinese needed over a hour to secured their spot into the next round. Final score: 21/14 14/21 21/14.

“I’m youngest among four on the court and I don’t have much pressure. Every match is a challenge. I tried my best to play the game’ said FENG Yan Zhe to the press. “We went last week against the same pair. And here is another victory. We made a lost of changed in our strategy. Since they are the best pair in the world, they had to adapt as much as possible. I’m really happy to win this one.”

'We don’t really have a plan for the future matches, we go step by step. Win every point. We try to stay focus in each upcoming matches.” Added her partner HUANG Dong Ping.