Jimmy Liong, ranked 4th on the PPA Tour Asia and Malaysia's number one player, gave Ly Hoang Nam a tough fight in the first half of the first set, leading 6-5. However, he lost six consecutive points, ultimately losing the set 6-11.
In the second set, the Vietnamese player maintained his composure, taking a 10-7 lead. Liong managed to save two game points before succumbing to a 9-11 defeat.
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Ly Hoang Nam (right) will face Trinh Linh Giang in the men's singles semi-final of the 2025 PPA Tour Asia Hong Kong. |
Prior to the quarter-finals, Ly Hoang Nam defeated the tournament's second seed, Kenta Miyoshi, in the round of 16 with a decisive 11-7, 11-3 victory. The Japanese player, born in 1995, is currently ranked 28th in the world pickleball rankings. Nam also competed in two qualifying matches, defeating Taiwanese player Lee Tsungkai 11-3, 11-3 and Singaporean player Ryan Ng 11-2, 11-2.
In tomorrow's semi-final, Ly Hoang Nam will face his teammate and close friend Trinh Linh Giang, the third seed. In their previous encounter at the PPA Tour Asia Malaysia in July, Nam lost 7-11, 11-9, 6-11 in the quarter-finals.
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Ly Hoang Nam competing at the 2025 PPA Tour Asia. Photo: *PPA Tour Asia* |
Linh Giang currently leads the PPA Tour Asia rankings after winning the Malaysia leg. His journey to the semi-finals included a comfortable win against teammate Le Xuan Duc 11-5, 11-4 in the round of 16. In this morning's quarter-final, he lost the first set 4-11 to Japanese player Nasa Hakateyama, before bouncing back with a flawless 11-0 victory in the second. The deciding set saw a point-for-point battle, with Giang eventually winning 11-9.
The other semi-final will feature top seed Hong Kit Wong of Hong Kong against Hien Truong, a 61-year-old Vietnamese-American player. Wong, with his youth and superior skill, is predicted to win comfortably.
Hong Kong is the second destination for the PPA Tour Asia after Malaysia since its launch. The tournament runs from 21/8 to 24/8, with a total prize pool of 50,000 USD (equivalent to 1.25 billion Vietnamese dong). The prize for the singles champion is 1,800 USD, while the doubles champions will receive 3,000 USD. The champion will also receive 1,000 points towards their PPA Tour Asia ranking.
The men's singles event attracted 28 players. In addition to Linh Giang and Ly Hoang Nam, Vietnam is also represented by Tong Nhat Minh, Le Xuan Duc, and Andrew Pham. In the women's singles, Sophia Phuong Anh Tran and Sophia Nhi Huynh were both eliminated in the qualifying rounds.
Hieu Luong
