With Promising Early Season, Chochuwong Makes Inroads
For a player who has made incremental gains through her still-young career, the last few weeks signalled a big jump in the fortunes of Pornpawee Chochuwong.
· DEV SUKUMAR
In February she beat no less an opponent than Carolina Marin in a final – that too, on the Spaniard’s home turf, at the Barcelona Spain Masters. A few weeks later, she survived a torrid opening round at the YONEX All England before beating He Bing Jiao to make the quarterfinals.
These results have now seen her climb to her career-best ranking of No.13, just 78 points behind compatriot Busanan Ongbamrungphan. She will also be eyeing the Race to Tokyo – for she is just 2,788 points adrift of Ongbamrungphan, who is currently Thailand’s second-placed player behind Ratchanok Intanon. As a player who has spent most of her career somewhat overshadowed by her better-known compatriots, Chochuwong’s time in the spotlight has arrived.
The Thai has had to work her way up. Not blessed with Intanon’s sublime skills, Chochuwong has had to depend on her work ethic in preparation and stubbornness on court, a fact that Marin acknowledged: “She’s a good player, a good fighter. Sometimes she’s doing really well, so you have to be really careful when you play her.