Ireland's sole Badminton player at the Games, Sonja McGinn, has lost her second round encounter. Mia Audina Tjiptawan of Holland, who was the Silver medalist in Atlanta and is the current World Numer 5, beat the Howth woman in two sets, 11-3, 11-6. McGinn started nervously and fell to a 4-love lead in the first set failing to get back in contention thereafter. The second set started similarly and again the Irishwoman was 4-love down before digging deep and closing to 1 adrift at 5-4. However that was as close as she would get as Tjiptawan found another gear and pulled away.
McGinn admitted she went out too fast against her more illustrious opponent and let anxiety get the better of her early on. She was more happy with her second set but felt that with her experience she should have adapted better to the challenge. McGinn, watched by her mother Pauline, declared she would do it all again despite her early exit. "It's not that bad", she said, "that's the way it goes."
Filed by Jimmy D'Arcy
