ALL THAILAND Finals – Boonsak loses and heads for surgery

Boonsak “Superman” Ponsana lost in the men’s singles final at the SGC All-Thailand Championships on Sunday in Bangkok while his coach Udom Luangphetcharaporn announced that he would undergo surgery later this month to correct an injury to his right foot that he sustained at the Singapore Open in June.

By: Gerald Jew, Badzine Correspondent live in Bangkok. Photos: Gerald Jew

Second seeded Suppanyu Avihingsanon defeated the top seeded Ponsana in a spirited three games match; Avihingsanon took the final two games 21-14, 21-19 after losing the first game 12-21. Ponsana trailed for most of the third game before battling back to tie the game at 16-16. Avihingsanon, the world’s 58^th ranked men’s singles player smashed his way to victory by taking five of the last seven points to capture the Championship.

After the match, Coach Udom said, “Boonsak injured his foot during the Singapore Open and the injury was causing him discomfort. We consider the operation to be minor and hope to have Boonsak ready to play again in three months. He will play in the next week’s Japan Open and will have the operation soon after he returns (from Japan).”

Ponsana’s sister, Salakjit, formerly Thailand’s top women’s singles player who has been overshadowed by youngsters Ratchanok Intanon and Porntip Buranaprasertsuk, took the women’s singles discipline by defeating Nichaon Jindapon 21-19, 21-10. Intanon ceded a walkover in the first round and Buranaprasertsuk lost in a semifinal match to Jindapon on Saturday.

Songphon Anugritayawon and Kunchala Voravichitchaikul defeated Maneepong Jongjit and Savitree Amitrapai to take the mixed doubles. After blowing a 19-16 lead to lose the first game 19-21, Anugritayawon and Voravichitchaikul came back to take the second game 21-17 and breezed to victory by taking the third game, 21-7.

After the match, Anugritayawon spoke about winning the Championship, “Winning the All-Thailand Championship is very important to me, it’s my country and it’s always good to win your country’s championship.”

Voravichitchaikul’s mixed doubles victory was her second championship of the day. She paired with Duanganong Aroonkesorn to defeat Savitree Amitapai and Somsri Nessara, 21-17, 21-12 to take the women’s doubles crown.  In the men’s doubles, second-seeded Bodin Issara and Maneepong Jongjit defeated the top-seeded pair of Patipat Chalardchaleam and Nipitphon Puangpuapech, 23-21, 21-15.

After the tournament, many of the players and coaches boarded a flight to Tokyo to compete in this week’s Japan Open Superseries event.

For complete results of the SCG All-Thailand Championships 2011, click here.