After a promising start to her clash with Switzerland’s 2023 European Games bronze medallist Janira Stadelmann, Rachael Darragh was left to rue the way it finished, losing a three-game thriller 21-13, 22-24, 15-21.
Darragh’s game was the last of the session in the La Chapelle Arena and she got off to a flying start, wrapping up the first game 21-13 in 20 minutes. However, the 26-year-old from Raphoe, Co Donegal, went seven points down (7-14) in the second and had to dig deep. She saved a game point at 20-21, and then had a match point herself before losing the second set 22-24.
Darragh – who has represented Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games – had the early edge in a tense third set, leading 8-5 and always holding a lead of a point or two until Stadelmann tied it for a fifth time at 15-all, but then the Thai-born Swiss player closed it out, winning the last six points in a row.
“I gave a good performance, but I’m also very annoyed at the way it finished,” Darragh said. “She slowed the game down at the end and I made too many easy mistakes. I had my chances in the second, but maybe I was thinking a little too much about winning.
“I’m really proud of parts of my game but disappointed with others, like my discipline and just thinking too far ahead. When you get that close, you start thinking about all the wrong things, but that comes with time and experience. I did not expect to be playing alone, on centre court, but it was amazing, I love big arenas like this.”
Like her team-mate Nhat Nguyen, the Donegal tyro faces the toughest of challenges in her final group game on Wednesday against Spain’s Carolina Marin; a three-time world champion who is seeded fourth here.
Darragh said: “She was the Rio Olympic champion, she’s here for gold, but I have nothing to lose. There’s so much from today I can use tomorrow, so I can really go for it.”