Tamarine fighting odds to regain a place in sun

Kolkata, Sep 19 (UNI) Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn's race against time to claw her way back to where she belongs is an archetypal example of a tragic downfall after a meteoric rise and a spirit not to yield.

Tennis in Thailand held a lot of promise about three years ago, but then the rot set in.

Paradorn Srichaphan, a men's top-10 player in 2003, found himself slipping out of the arena, while in the women's circuit Tamarine Tanasugarn, a top-20 player in 2002, found injuries take toll on her career.

Both have struggled since then and more disappointing was the fact that Thailand has since failed to produce players who can match their calibre.

Tanasugarn's meteoric rise in women's tennis, reaching her career best of 19 in May 2002, turned her an icon in Asia.

She broke into the top 100 in 1996, and was a top 50 player in 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1998 and 1997. But time had come full circle for this diminutive youngster.

A nagging foot injury has since brought her rankings down and is unseeded at the ongoing Sunfeast Open WTA meet being played here.

The age-old adage what goes up has to come down was proving too true for her at least.

Yesterday, in the first round, however, she put paid to the sixth seed Kaia Kanepi's hopes, and showed some of the grit and determination that had taken her so near the top of the international scene. But whether it was a great escape, her later matches will reveal. But at least she was fighting the demons within her and letting everyone know that she was not finished yet.

Tanasugarn is now looking at regaining her position in the top 100. ''That is my short term goal and I want to play in the Australian Open,'' she said.

Tanasugarn sounded optimistic about women's tennis in Asia.''Look at the Chinese girls. They won at the Olympics too,'' she said.

The 29-year-old was also hopeful of girls from Chinese Taipei, Korea and her own country Thailand to make a mark. India's Sania Mirza will obviously also have a role to play, keeping the Asian presence alive, she said.

She was, however, all praise for Srichaphan who is still the No. I player in Asia.

Tanasugarn is looking ahead. ''We do have some quality youngsters coming up,'' she said. ''We have players who are capable of breaking into the top-100. More importantly, Paradorn is still Asia's best singles player.'' There's also Danai Udomchoke, who, Tanasugarn feels is extremely talented. Tanasugarn herself has slid down to her current ranking of 125, something she blames on injuries. ''It was my feet - ankle, heel - everything. For two years I have suffered these injuries,'' she said.

''We have shown that it is not just the men who can play tennis.

We women can also play,'' she giggled. She expects at least one Asian girl in the top-10 soon, if not two. ''The future looks good,'' she added.

'' I am taking one match at a time, not setting too high goals for myself,'' the 29-year-old veteran said. ''I am hoping to break (back) into the top 100 by year end.'' she said, knowing fully well that time is slipping out of her hand reminding us the lines from Ulysses 'To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield.'' That is the spirit of Tamarine Tanasugarn.

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