Vietnam take another step towards Davis Cup promotion slot

Vietnam's tennis team have almost grasped the promotion ticket to Davis Cup - Asia/Oceania Group II in 2020 after beating hosts Singapore 2-1 in the second day of the ongoing 2019 Davis Cup - Asia/Oceania Group III on June 27.

Vietnam have almost ensured their promotion to Davis Cup - Asia/Oceania Group II in 2020 after two consecutive wins at the ongoing 2019 Davis Cup - Asia/Oceania Group III in Singapore.
Vietnam have almost ensured their promotion to Davis Cup - Asia/Oceania Group II in 2020 after two consecutive wins at the ongoing 2019 Davis Cup - Asia/Oceania Group III in Singapore.

>>> Nam comes from behind to seal Vietnam’s overwhelming win at Davis Cup opener

In their opener a day earlier, Vietnam took an overwhelming 3-0 victory over Sri Lanka. Entering their next clash against the hosts, Vietnam did not change formation compared to the previous win.

Trinh Linh Giang took on the first single match, while key player Ly Hoang Nam played the second one. With the difference in level, Giang beat Shareed Alam 6-2, 6-1, while Vietnam’s No. 1 star, Nam, also earned an easy 6-1, 6-1 win over Ng Hao Yuan, helping Vietnam take a 2-0 lead.

Vietnam's Trinh Linh Giang in action during his first single match against Singapore's Shareed Alam.

In the final double match, Shareed/Hao Yuan continued on the court to face Vietnam’s duo Le Quoc Khanh/Pham Minh Tuan. The hosts’ underdogs suddenly won 6-4 in the first set, with the Vietnamese side playing firmly in the second set to win 6-3. However, Shareed and Hao Yuan won 6-3 in the third set, claiming Singapore their first win.

Despite losing in the doubles match, Vietnam still took a 2-1 overall victory and thus stay on top in Group A, ranked above Kuwait thanks to their better winning score difference (5-1 over 3-3).

Kuwait were also the team promoted to Group II alongside Vietnam after the 2018 Davis Cup - Asia/Oceania Group III in Hanoi.

Vietnam will next face Kuwait in a contender for promotion to Group II today, which is also the last match of the group stage.

The automatic promotion is almost in the hands of Nam and his teammates, even if Vietnam lose 1-2 to Kuwait, they will still maintain in the top spot for Group A. However, if Kuwait beat Vietnam 3-0, the Southeast Asian team must win in the play-offs with the Group B runners-up to compete for the third promotion, as the second promotion ticket belongs to the Group B winners.