Thailand Open: Katethong Proves She Belongs
The significance of the TOYOTA Thailand Open 2024 quarterfinal victory to Supanida Katethong cannot be overstated, according to the player herself.
· PREM KUMAR
Not because it’s her first semifinal above the Super 300 level in over a year. Not because she ended a five-year wait to beat her opponent. And not because she’s finally through to a Thailand Open semifinal.
Rather, the last four berth comes just two months out from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, into which she snuck towards the tail-end of the qualifying window. And that it was achieved against a player of Gregoria Mariska Tunjung’s calibre was another timely morale booster.
“It’s such a meaningful win. It shows I’m capable of reaching the next level,” stressed the 26-year-old lefthander, currently the world No.16. “It tells me I can compete against the top 10 players, and that I deserve my place at the Olympics. It gives me a lot of belief with Paris just round the corner.