On the morning of December 5, the first semi-final match of the men's singles event at the PPA Tour Asia Hangzhou Open 2025 pickleball tournament (Hangzhou, China) attracted great attention from fans.
Vietnam's representative, Ly Hoang Nam, entered a challenging confrontation with Federico Staksrud - a tennis player ranked 2nd in the world and the number 1 seed of the tournament.
Although he was rated lower, Ly Hoang Nam made an excellent performance. From the first shots, the tennis player born in 1997 deployed a tight playing strategy, constantly applying pressure, making it difficult for Staksrud to control the tempo of the match. Set 1 ended with an 11-7 victory for the Vietnamese tennis player.
In set 2, Staksrud tried to rise up to balance the game, creating tense ball lines. However, Hoang Nam still maintains his alertness at the most important moments. He ended the set with a score of 12-10, thereby sealing a convincing overall victory of 2-0.
Not only defeating one of the strongest players on the PPA Tour, Ly Hoang Nam also opened an important milestone for Vietnamese pickleball on the international map. This victory is considered a "seismic" of the tournament, surprising the entire audience in Hangzhou.
The ticket to the final is a worthy reward for the efforts of the Vietnamese tennis player. According to the competition section, Ly Hoang Nam will meet the winner of the remaining semi-final between Truong Vinh Hien and Jack Wong - promising to continue to bring a dramatic match.
