Culture - Sports - Tourism

Two Vietnamese players reach men's singles semifinals of SEA Games 31 table tennis

FRIDAY, 20/05/2022 09:07:17

Players Nguyen Duc Tuan and Nguyen Anh Tu are representatives of Vietnam booking tickets to the semifinals in men's singles.

Player Nguyen Duc Tuan wins three matches in a row in the group stage of men's singles, including an important victory over experienced Filipino player Richard Gonzales

They are the last two hopes of winning golds for Vietnam in table tennis at this year's SEA Games.

The last matches in the group stage of singles categories of the 31st SEA Games table tennis event took place on May 19 evening. The Vietnamese team had three players taking part in these competitions, namely Nguyen Duc Tuan, Nguyen Thi Nga, and Tran Mai Ngoc.

Nguyen Thi Nga (yellow shirt) wins only one of three group stage matches in women's singles and does not have any chance to go further

As expected, Duc Tuan had a leisurely match when easily defeating Soeung Tola from Cambodia 3-0 (11-6, 11-2, and 11-9). Thus, the Vietnamese player officially earned a berth in the semifinals after having won all three matches in the group stage.

Besides, it was not unexpected that the two female players of the Vietnamese team could not make any surprise as both losing 0-3 to two Thai players who were rated higher. Tran Mai Ngoc was beaten by Suthasini Sawettabut (3-11, 8-11, and 5-11), and Nguyen Thi Nga was defeated by Orawan Paranang (6-11, 13-15, and 9-11).

Tran Mai Ngoc (red shirt) is also eliminated in the group stage of women's singles

Results of the remaining five matches:

Richard Gonzales (the Philippines) 0 – 3 Wong Qi Shen (Malaysia)

Zeng Jian (Singapore) 3 – 1 Alice Chang Li Sian (Malaysia)

Kheith Rhynnr Cruz (the Philippines) 3 – 0 Bo Insou (Cambodia)

Zhou Jingyi (Singapore) 1 – 3 Ho Ying (Malaysia)

Yin Chanrotana (Cambodia) 0 – 3 Nitnapha Kongphet (Laos)

Thailand has up to two representatives in the women's singles semifinals. They are ambitious to win the 4th, even the 5th, gold medal at this year's SEA Games table tennis event

Hence, eight players qualified for the semifinals after the group stage, namely Nguyen Duc Tuan, Nguyen Anh Tu (Vietnam), Phakpoom Sanguansin (Thailand), and Chew Zhe Yu Clarence (Singapore) in men's singles and Orawan Paranang, Suthasini Sawettabut (Thailand), Zeng Jian (Singapore), and Ho Ying (Malaysia) in women's singles.

The semifinals and finals in men's and women's singles and the closing ceremony of the 31st SEA Games table tennis event are scheduled for today (May 20).

TIEN MANH