Kingdom's No 1 Danai, Peerakiat shoulder local hopes in Thailand Open

Danai

Thailand's men's No 1 Danai Udomchoke will be joined by Davis Cup team-mate Peerakiat Siriluethaiwattana and Taiwan's Jimmy Wang as wild cards in the Thailand Open 2012.

Danai will become the only player to have competed in all 10 editions of the tournament. Currently ranked 147, Danai is steadily climbing the world rankings after missing much of 2011 due to injury and shoulder surgery and seeing his ranking fall as low as No 919.

This year the Thai No 1 has performed strongly in Challenger and Futures events, winning in Australia, Taiwan and Canada. He lost in five tight sets to Gilles Simon in the Australian Open in January.

"I really appreciate the faith that the tournament organisers have in me," said Danai on hearing of his wild card. "It's an incredible honour to be the only player to have played the Thailand Open in all of its 10 years. I'll be doing my very best at the tournament and I hope everyone comes out to support all the Thai and foreign players."

Peerakiat won his first Open wild card via a play-off, though this is the world No 1,118's second appearance in the main draw, after he came through qualifying in 2007.

"I'm really excited to get this opportunity," said Peerakiat, who is currently competing in a Futures event in Vietnam. "Whoever I play, it is going to be tough, but I will give it everything I've got."

Taiwan's Jimmy Wang, ranked No 153, is also returning to the game - and his fifth Thailand Open - after wrist injuries forced a three-year break.

The Thailand Open 2012 boasts a strong field highlighted by some of the most exciting players in the world. World No 9 Janko Tipsarevic will be top seed but faces tough competition from French stars Richard Gasquet, Gilles Simon and Gael Monfils, as well as Australian prodigy Bernard Tomic, Spaniard Fernando Verdasco and big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic. The week-long tournament starts tomorrow at Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani.

Tickets priced from Bt300 and are available at Thaiticketmajor outlets and metropolitan Thai Post offices. For more details call (02) 262 3838, or visit www.ThaiTicketmajor.com or wwwPTTThailandOpen.org.

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Source: http://www.news.thethailandlinks.com/2012/09/21/kingdoms-no-1-danai-peerakiat-shoulder-local-hopes-in-thailand-open/