A good run this week in Thailand will ensure that Meril Loquette’s best six results ever will all have been in 2019.
Great form this year has elevated the French star from average to ever so impressive in under nine months, and gives the SU5 men’s singles player a genuine Paralympic opportunity.
His Thailand campaign got off to a good start yesterday with a win over Wikromchattarakhup to quieten the home crowd. He backed that up with a straight games victory today over India’s Paneer. The Canadian finalist tops group C and goes onto face Chriag Baretha (IND) tomorrow afternoon in the knockout stages.
Without dropping a game so far this week, Loquette had this to say this evening:
- This tournament has been very good for me, winning both matches in the group has given me a great opportunity in the knockout stage. It could not be a better draw in the men’s singles. The biggest threat is Cheah Liek Hou (MAS) and he is in the other half. I think I have a chance of medals in both singles and in doubles with Ilker Tuzcu (TUR), said the Frenchman.
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‘I’m playing at a higher level now’
A change of coach and environment late last year has given Meril Loquette the spring-board to great things this year. Currently world number six, and within the top five in the Race-to-Tokyo rankings for the Paralympics, he is striving for medals at international competitions.
A medal here this week will take something special, but we have seen that before from Europe’s number two after he defeated Bartlomiej Mroz (POL) and Suryo Nugroho (INA) in the same week in Canada in May.
- Next week I go to China with the same motivation to win a medal. I’m playing at a higher level this year than ever before. I hope to keep this type of progress into 2020, he added.
Day Two Thailand Para-Badminton International 2019 results can be found on tournament software here.