The stakes were raised in round two at the Swiss Open 2021. Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt was forced to fight hard and control her emotions to get a spot in the quarterfinal.
Mia Blichfeldt and Yvonne Li are well acquainted, having played twice at the 2021 European Mixed Team Championships in Finland two weeks ago. Li took the one in the group stages, but Blichfeldt won in the semifinal. Despite this, Blichfeldt was careful not to be too confident coming into today’s match.
-I was definitely not coming into this match comfortably. I think Yvonne has been showing some good results. I know that when we walk on court that I am the favourite, so I have to handle that well.
The match turned into another great battle between the two. Blichfeldt came out on top winning 21-13 13-21 21-18, however, opened up about a few weaknesses she sees in her game.
-I think I am still struggling with myself. Over the last couple of weeks, I have been tough on myself and that really shows on court because I feel that I am dropping out of being in the zone a lot of the time.
-I just get angry at myself and sometimes it is hard for me to control my feelings, sometimes it takes over and I drop out of my game plan, Blichfeldt adds.
Talking to myself
The match followed a similar pattern to the EMTC21 semifinal, Blichfeldt won the first, before Li came back strongly in the second to force a decider. However, the European Games champion did not look too much into that.
-I did not feel like I was having flashbacks to the other match. I just knew that she is a fighter too, just like me. I felt that I gave her too many easy points, and that was when I started to drop out of the zone and get angry. Then it is difficult to play free and relaxed.
At a key moment in the third game, there was a controversial line call, but Blichfeldt knew how to deal with it.
-I have been quite good at handling those things that you cannot control. But you can control the way you are talking to yourself, and handling yourself, I am very bad at that. I am happy that I can still fight hard without playing pretty or well.
Blichfeldt is now entering her second quarterfinals at the Swiss Open and looks forward to tomorrow.
-I like to play in this arena. I will go home now and prepare and hopefully talk a little bit nicer to myself tomorrow in the next match, Blichfeldt laughed.
Blichfeldt will play the Thai player, Phittayaporn Chaiwan, in the quarterfinal tomorrow.
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