University of Georgia Athletics
Nirundorn Savors Return to the Court
April 06, 2025 | Women's Tennis, The Frierson Files
Staff Writer
Mai Nirundorn had an unusual message for doubles partner Guillermina Grant before they took the court Sunday, on Senior Day for the top-ranked Georgia women's tennis team: "I told her: Just be careful, protect your head when I'm serving."
With her right arm encased in an elbow brace that limited her range of motion, Nirundorn played in a match for just the third time during the 2024-25 season. The senior from Bangkok, Thailand, played singles once in the fall and against Arkansas last month, but Sunday's regular-season home finale was her first doubles match since the finals of the 2024 NCAA team tournament.
After finishing last season ranked No. 91 nationally in singles and No. 48 in doubles with Grant, injuries have sidelined Nirundorn for nearly all of her senior year. But Sunday, during the Bulldogs' 4-0 win over Missouri at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex, she and Grant were reunited.
"It was good to be back again," Nirundorn said. "It felt so natural. It was a lot of fun."
Unable to do her regular serve, Nirundorn served underhanded against the Mizzou team of Andrea Artimedi and Inah Canete — hence the warning to Grant to protect her head. While the Georgia duo didn't get to complete its match — the Bulldogs clinched the doubles point with wins at Nos. 1 and 3 — Grant and Nirundorn were ahead 4-2 when play was stopped.
"It was just like old times," said Grant, a fellow senior who usually plays at No. 2 with Anastasiia Lopata. "I don't think we've practiced like that in like four months, but when we got out there, it seemed like we never stopped playing."
While serving underhanded dramatically limits the power a player can put on their serve, it does offer a couple of challenges for the returner. Players aren't used to facing a serve coming at them that slowly or at such a low angle.
"When you go underhand, it keeps the ball down, so at minimum (the returner) has to hit the ball up," Georgia head coach Drake Bernstein said. "We've got a great net player in Gigi, so we kept her up there and let her move around as a little bit of a distraction.
"I think maybe the coolest part about it was just how hard Gigi was playing for Mai. You know, Gigi is out there every day, and for her to want it that bad for her teammate says a lot."
Nirundorn is always interesting to watch because she hits two-handed off both sides from the baseline. The underhanded serve made her even more so Sunday.
"She was terrific," Bernstein said. "She came out hot, busting returns, and had a great hold (of serve) to start off the match. Those two have had some big moments on that exact court, and we wanted to give them that opportunity to play together on Senior Day."
As a junior, Nirundorn went 25-11 in singles for the Bulldogs, including 12-4 at the No. 6 spot, and she and Grant were a formidable duo at No. 2 doubles, going 15-6 in dual matches. This season, Nirundorn has had to spend much more time cheering on her teammates than helping the Bulldogs win.
"Of course, I'd rather play, but just getting to be here for the team means a lot," Nirundorn said. "Watching everyone compete and getting to cheer them on and being part of everyone's journey, it's all really special."
Nirundorn's mother, Jean Kansuthi, was a two-time Mid-American Conference Player of the Year at Eastern Michigan in the late 1990s. Nirundorn and her brother, Tanapatt, who plays at Florida, were born in Louisville, Ky., where their mom was coaching at the time, before moving back and forth between Thailand and the U.S. a few times. Kansuthi is a regular at Georgia's matches, always with her little dog, Drake, nearby.
Sunday's win likely won't be the Bulldogs' final appearance at home this season. Georgia (20-1, 13-0 SEC) wraps up conference play next weekend at Texas and at No. 2 Texas A&M, before the SEC tournament later this month at Auburn. After that, the Bulldogs will almost certainly host an NCAA regional the first weekend in May. Regardless, Senior Day had a lot of meaning for Nirundorn.
"Time flew by so fast for me," she said. "Now that it's almost over, I'm appreciating my time here more. I've just had so much fun here the past four years."
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files.
