>>> Tennis: VTF Masters 500-2 tournament opens in Hai Phong
>>> Tennis: Hoang Nam crowned champion at Lach Tray Cup 2019
After continuous victories from the beginning of the tournament to go straight to the final, defending champion and No. 1 seed Nam was expected to successfully defend his title against No. 4 seed Giang.
However, underdog Giang performed excellently, with his superb form helping him make the biggest surprise in Vietnamese tennis in almost a decade.
The 23-year-old player started quite well against his teammate in Hai Dang club. Breaking Nam’s two serves, Giang took a 3-1 lead in the first set. However, Nam immediately responded, claiming a break to balance the score. The match was a thrill as both saved each point to pull each other into the tie-break series. Giang then was better to win 7-6(3).
In set 2, Nam brought the match back to a balance with a quick 6-2 victory. It was thought that the No. 1 player would have another easy set, but the better Giang hit again with his continuous winners as he gained repeated applause from Hai Phong audience.
Linh then calmed the storm and repeatedly broke Nam's serves to take a 5-0 lead before closing the final set at 6-1.
The 2-1 win hands Giang a miracle as he ended Nam's unbeaten streak against domestic players that lasted for eight years, since the 1997-born defeated former No. 1 Do Minh Quan at the 2012 National Tennis Championship. This was also the best match in Giang's career, according to Nam's own comments about his opponent after the match.
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Trinh Linh Giang crowned men's singles champion.
In the women's singles final, Si Boi Ngoc (Army team) and Tran Thuy Thanh Truc (Hung Thinh - Ho Chi Minh City) also together made a dramatic match. Ngoc won 6-1 in the first set.
In the second set, Truc promoted her forte with powerful forehands to balance the score at 5-5. However, Ngoc was better win two consecutive deciding games, thereby setting the score at 7-5 and winning 2-0 overall to claim the championship title.
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Si Boi Ngoc pockets two championships at this year’s tournament.
This is the second championship that Ngoc has brought to the Army team at this year’s event, following the women's doubles championship title she and her senior Nguyen Thi Be Xuyen won yesterday against the pair Le Thao Han/Phan Nhu Quynh (Hung Thinh - Ho Chi Minh City).
“After accepting the invitation to join the Army team after more than a year off playing, I felt motivated to practice more and love tennis more. This championship means a lot to me personally and it will be a driving force for me to try to be named in the national team to compete in the 31st SEA Games hosted by Vietnam in 2021,” Ngoc told reporters after winning the women's singles final.
