Vietnamese tennis highly-favoured for gold medals at SEA Games

Vietnam tennis have a great opportunity to win both the men's singles and doubles titles at the upcoming 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games with the presence of Daniel Nguyen, who is the first Vietnamese American to play in the US Open.

With the presence of ATP-ranked player Daniel Cao Nguyen, Vietnamese tennis team will be favourites for gold medals in the upcoming 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines this December. (Photo: VTF)
With the presence of ATP-ranked player Daniel Cao Nguyen, Vietnamese tennis team will be favourites for gold medals in the upcoming 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines this December. (Photo: VTF)

Good news has come to Vietnam tennis as the 29-year-old, who is currently ranked 355th in the ATP rankings, has officially been granted Vietnamese citizen status and promptly registered to compete as a Vietnamese tennis player in the 30th SEA Games later this year in the Philippines.

With the presence of Daniel Cao Nguyen, Vietnam tennis will be highly-favoured to win the SEA Games gold medal. Currently, Vietnamese star Ly Hoang Nam, ranked 486th in the world, is the Southeast Asian tennis player with the highest ranking in the ATP rankings. Now with the presence of ATP’s 355th Daniel Nguyen, Vietnam have an even bigger hope for the title in the men's singles.

After more than a year from returning to Vietnam competing for the Hai Dang Club (Tay Ninh province), Daniel Nguyen has expressed his aspirations and devotion to Vietnamese tennis in international and continental events, especially in the SEA Games 30. In just a few months, the Vietnam Tennis Federation (VTF) has urgently completed all naturalisation procedures for Daniel. Born and living in the US, both Daniel's parents are Vietnamese, so all procedures went smoothly and were completed on October 28, granting Daniel Nguyen the Vietnamese citizen status with his official name Daniel Cao Nguyen.

According to the VTF, with the support from the Vietnam's General Department of Sports and Physical Training and the Vietnam Olympic Committee, in a meeting to finalise the squad for the SEA Games on Wednesday afternoon in Manila, the Vietnam tennis team successfully registered Daniel Nguyen as one of the team’s player for the regional biennial multi-sport event.

Vietnam will send four male and five female players to tennis events at the next SEA Games, including Ly Hoang Nam, Daniel Cao Nguyen, Trinh Linh Giang, Le Quoc Khanh, Nguyen Van Phuong in the men’s events, while the women's team includes Savanna Ly Nguyen, Fodor Csilla, Dao Minh Trang, Phan Thi Thanh Binh and Tran Thuy Thanh Truc.

Tennis star Ly Hoang Nam will also join his senior Daniel Cao Nguyen to compete for Vietnam in the upcoming 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines this December. (Photo: VTF)

With the 355th rank in the ATP rankings, Daniel will be the No. 1 seed in the men's singles at the SEA Games, followed by No. 2 seed teammate Ly Hoang Nam. Daniel has reached 189th in the ATP 189th ranks in the past, while attending Grand Slam US Open and Australian Open. Daniel is also highly favoured than other strong Southeast Asian rivals he has encountered, such as Wishaya Trongcharoenchaikul (Thailand), twins Sanchai and Sonchat Ratiwatana (Thailand), Ruben Gonzalez (Philippines), Treat Huey (Philippines) or Christopher Rungkat (Indonesia).

Not only that, in the men's doubles Vietnam are also hopeful of getting a gold. The coaching board will have options to make and Ly Hoang Nam will pair with Le Quoc Khanh and Daniel Cao Nguyen couple with junior Nguyen Van Phuong.

Vietnam will compete in all five tennis events at the upcoming SEA Games, including men's singles, women's singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles. All the matches will be held at RMSC Tennis Courts in Metro Manila, Philippines from December 1 to 7.

Vietnam’s tennis squad competing in the 2019 Philippines 30th SEA Games:

Men's singles: Ly Hoang Nam, Daniel Cao Nguyen

Men's doubles: Ly Hoang Nam/Le Quoc Khanh, Daniel Cao Nguyen/Nguyen Van Phuong.

Women's singles: Fodor Csilla, Savanna Ly Nguyen

Women's doubles: Phan Thi Thanh Binh/Tran Thuy Thanh Truc, Dao Minh Trang/Fodor Csilla

Mixed doubles: Le Quoc Khanh/Dao Minh Trang, Trinh Linh Giang/Savanna Ly Nguyen