The Kingdom’s squad lost the final match of the opening week 20-25 20-25 13-25 to the 2003 and 2005 European champion, which was their second straight defeat after going down to Italy 0-3 on Wednesday.

Thailand, with just a win over Germany this week, will head to Macau for Pool 7’s actions which start on Tuesday. China, South Korea, and Belgium are also in the pool.

Thailand coach Danai Sriwacharamaytakul says:  “It is really hard to play against a top level opponent like the national team of Poland. The Poles are really tall and that was a huge problem for us. Also their block worked well tonight, so that made a difference. Anyway, we won one game in Poland and we are satisfied. We are happy that we had an opportunity to visit this country and play in front of these fantastic fans. We take only positive memories from Poland.”

Poland coach Jacek Nawrocki says: “We opened this game nervously, because we lost a few points in reception. Later, we started to play well on the net. We played against Thailand before and it gave us some advantage. We had adapted to their style and it was not a big problem for us this time. We played fine under pressure. We missed a few balls in reception and we were not able to attack, but I think it’s still a matter of team integration. We tried many options and later it all started to work well, but this is normal in volleyball. We are happy about these seven points gained during this week, but it’s a pity that we didn’t manage to defeat Italy, because wins are the most important in the VNL.”

Thailand captain Nootsara Tomkom says: “It was a tough match for us, but that’s what we had expected. The Polish players gave a great performance and played really powerful volleyball tonight. We tried to fight, but they were too strong for us. Moreover, the Poles are taller than us, which makes them even more efficient in block. It was their main power and helped them a lot. I think that in a few years Poland can be a top team in world, because they still improve their play and have many young and talented players.”

Pichai, who is also the Olympic Committee of Thailand vice president, said his goal would be to send eight men and five women, the maximum allowed by a country, despite the International Olympic Committee yesterday stripping the International Boxing Association (AIBA) of its right to run the event at Tokyo 2020.

Pichai says that during the last year’s Youth Olympic Games in Argentina, where boxing event was not run by AIBA, there was no problem because athletes and officials were satisfied with the organisation of the event and the results declared.

World No 4 mixed doubles players Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai led Thailand to a good start with a straight game win over Seo Seung Jae and Chae Yujung 21-18 21-18.

Then world No 18 Kantaphon Wancharoen extended the Thai lead to 2-0 after he powered past Heo Kwang Hee 21-17 21-17 in men’s singles.

But South Korea struck back in the men’s doubles when Min Hyuk Kang and Kim Won Ho bounced back from the first game deficit to beat Tinn Isriyanet and Kittinupong Kerden 19-21 21-17 21-14.

Former world champion Ratchanok Intanon nailed the coffin for South Korea by defeating  New Zealand Open champion Se Young An   21-15 21-17.

The Kingdom also reached this stage in 2017 and 2013 which still remain their best results in the world mixed team competition. They will play China on Saturday.

After their opening warm-up against hosts France in Orleans, they then travel to Belgium for a clash with that nation on June 1 and finally take on Kontich FC in the Belgian city of Leuven three days later.

Defence has been the focus of their training at the Stade Lionel Charbonnier pitch this week and Nungruethai says they need to brace themselves for the high pressing game they can expect from the World Cup hosts, who reached the quarter-finals in Canada in 2015.

“We’ve focused on our game plan against France, which is to prepare for a possible variety of attacking tactics from them,” said Nungruethai during a break in training.

“It’s very necessary that we cover our zone well.”

Nungruethai, who was also the national coach in Thailand’s World Cup debut four years ago, has warned her players to take good care of themselves and stay injury-free ahead of the biggest competition of their careers.

 Nungruethai Srathongwien

“They need to be careful as the condition of the pitch [at the training venue] is not good and the last thing we need is for our players to get injured when we have such tough matches ahead,” she added.

Defender Warunee Phetwiset says facing France will serve as a good preparation for their daunting World Cup opener against the United States as both teams play a similar offensive style.

However, she says while defence has been the priority, they won’t be entirely passive on Saturday.

“We have been focusing on our defence but that doesn’t mean we won’t counter attack,” said the 28-year-old from Chonburi. “Also, several young girls in the team will be taking this opportunity to learn from France and shape things up for the real game with the US.”

Thailand have been drawn in World Cup group F along with defending champions USA plus Chile and Sweden.

They kick off their campaign with the US at the Stade Auguste-Delaude in Reims on June 11.

The US is odds-on favourites to retain their title – if they do so they will also be lifting the trophy for a record fourth time.

However, a returning Roger Federer and rejuvenated Rafael Nadal will once again stand in his way.

World number one Djokovic completed his first private stranglehold of all four Slams with victory at Roland Garros in 2016.

Having clinched the 2018 Wimbledon and US Open titles and then a seventh Australian Open crown in January this year, the Serb is tantalisingly close to another ‘Djoko Slam’.

Federer and Nadal, with 20 and 17 career Grand Slam titles each respectively, may be ahead of 15-time major winner Djokovic in total hauls and have also completed career Slams.

However, not even Federer or Nadal have managed to hold all four of the sport’s greatest prizes at the same time.

It is such a rare feat that only Don Budge (1938) and Rod Laver (1962 and 1969) — all calendar Grand Slams — have pulled off the sweep in the sport’s history.

Djokovic, who turned 32 on Wednesday, is playing down his potential date with destiny even if it would put him halfway to a 2019 calendar Slam of his own.

After losing to Nadal in the Italian Open final last weekend, the Serb was in no doubt that it was the Spaniard who would likely be celebrating a 12th Roland Garros title in a little over two weeks’ time.

“Nadal, number one favourite, without a doubt — then everyone else,” he said.

Djokovic, who will be top seed in Thursday’s draw, could be forgiven his caution.

At Roland Garros in 2018, he was shocked by Italian journeyman Marco Cecchinato in the quarter-finals, a defeat which was such a crushing bodyblow that he even contemplated skipping Wimbledon.

Federer is returning to Roland Garros for the first time since 2015 having turned his back on clay court tennis to focus on Wimbledon.

– 10th anniversary –

This year marks the 10th anniversary of his one and only Paris triumph and should the 37-year-old defy the odds and clinch the 2019 title he would become the oldest Grand Slam champion of all time.

Age hasn’t dimmed his ability with Federer saving match points to beat Gael Monfils in Madrid and in Rome against Borna Coric as he found his feet again on European red clay.

“It’s been interesting and fun, but not so challenging, to be honest,” said Federer despite his Rome campaign being cut short by a leg injury.

Nadal, whose record at Roland Garros stands at a staggering 11 titles and a win-loss record of 86-2, claimed a ninth Italian Open title and a record 34th Masters on Sunday.

His three-set win over Djokovic was timely as it was his first title of 2019 and had followed three successive semi-final losses at Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid.

The last two of those were against Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas, both of whom play with a one-handed backhand, just like Federer.

Thiem, the 2018 runner-up to Nadal at Roland Garros, has defeated the Spaniard four times on clay.

“There is a new wave coming through with the one-handed backhand that can counter some of Rafa’s spins and lefty play,” said Federer, a four-time runner-up in Paris.

Outside of Djokovic and Federer, world number four Thiem and sixth-ranked Tsitsipas are the most likely candidates to dethrone Nadal.

The same cannot be said for Germany’s Alexander Zverev, for so long touted as the brightest star of the so-called ‘Next Gen’.

The German’s run to the quarter-finals last year remains his best Slam performance while he has yet to get beyond the last eight at any of the European clay events in the run-up to Paris.

“He has lost his self-confidence, he gets very angry, gets down and destroys himself,” said compatriot Tommy Haas, a former world number two.

“What he urgently needs is a success.”