SONIIA Cheah will rue her missed opportunities for a very long time after losing to World No 6 Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand in the final Group N tie at the Tokyo Olympics yesterday.
-Advertisement-
Having lost all four previous meetings, the Malaysian came close to upsetting the former world champion but simply allowed it to slip away, losing 19-21, 21-18, 21-10.
Soniia, who nearly quit badminton a few years ago after suffering an Achilles tendon injury, admitted she should have wrapped up the match in two straight games.
“In the first game, I controlled the shots well with fewer mistakes and matched her speed.
“But in the second game, the wind direction was a little different. I caught up eventually, and the points were close.
“However, I made some mistakes, and Ratchanok had some lucky shots to wrap up the game,” said Soniia, who did not qualify for the knockout stage.
-Advertisement-
Asked whether she would continue playing until the 2024 Paris Olympics, the 28-year-old said: “I’m grateful to play at the Olympics after struggling for eight long years.
“I’m sorry for not being able to win the match. To my family, friends and fans, I’m sorry, I tried my best, but I couldn’t win.
“As for the 2024 Paris Olympics, I will continue to play if I can. It will depend on my condition,” added Soniia, who went under the knife four times to treat her Achilles tendon injury, which nearly ended her career in 2013, the same year Ratchanok was crowned champion at the World Championships in Guangzhou, China.
The Thai ace, who reached the last 16 in Rio five years ago, will face Indonesia’s Gregoria Mariska Tunjung for a place in the quarter-finals.-NST