[20] Melissa Alves (FRA) 3-0 Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG) 11-5, 11-2, 11-6 (22m)
Melissa
I knew what to expect, I’ve played her a lot.
My coach told me to play the match as if my life depended on it. It’s the Worlds, you fight for every ball, you don’t leave anything out there, you go after everything, you play at 100%.
I think that’s what I managed to do for almost the whole match. In the third, she played well, she hit some kills, and there wasn’t much I could do. She went for it — sometimes it was straight into the tin, and sometimes it came off.
The good thing is that I didn’t panic, and when it was time to step it up, I found the pedal. Plus, the body feels good, no pain, everything’s fine.
And Mum is here too. After Dad in Gouna… yes, I’m trying to have as much support around me as possible. I don’t have, like some others, the possibility of having an entourage, a “team”, a whole staff. So let’s be honest, the cheapest people to bring over are the parents!!! Hahaha.
You know, I left home when I was 15. I missed out on so many moments with my parents, so to share moments like this with them, at tournaments, is wonderful — and that’s really all that matters.
