Vietnam's 'big four' pickleball singles 'hunt' for gold at PPA Asia Hangzhou tournament

Four pickleball players Phuc Huynh, Ly Hoang Nam, Trinh Linh Giang and Truong Vinh Hien will find it difficult to conquer the PPA Tour Hangzhou when the tournament has the number 2 and number 3 American players participating.

PPA Tour Hangzhou 2025 is the final leg in Asia - Photo:FPT Play

The PPA Asia Tour Hangzhou 2025 will take place from December 3 to 6 at the Liping Sports Center. The tournament promises to be an opportunity for the "big four" Vietnamese pickleball players to make a name for themselves against two candidates named Federico Staksrud and Connor Garnett from the US PPA.

This is the first time Federico Staksrud - former No. 1 PPA Ranking, 13,650 points - has participated in the final stage of the PPA this year. The Argentine tennis player's luggage includes two gold medals from the recent tournament in Dallas. Of course, Staksrud wants to mark the "gold" in his first visit to Asia.

The organizers have placed Federico Staksrud in the same bracket as Le Xuan Duc in the round of 16 and the semi-finals against Ly Hoang Nam if all goes well. Ly Hoang Nam, who wants to win the PPA Asia tournament for the first time, will face a huge challenge. He is seeded number 3 in the professional men's singles.

The remaining bracket includes Truong Vinh Hien - who just won the Australian PPA championship, Trinh Linh Giang (seeded 6th) and Phuc Huynh (ranked 17th in PPA Ranking). With 24 players in this category, it is difficult to avoid the situation where the Vietnamese representatives will soon eliminate each other from the quarter-finals onwards.

One name that cannot be left out is the PPA Ranking No. 3 singles player, Connor Garnett. He is the No. 2 seed in this tournament after winning against Phuc Huynh at the Fukuoka Open 2025.

With two top American pickleball players attending the final round of the PPA in Hangzhou, the chance for the "big four" Vietnamese pickleball players to win the title is very difficult. However, this is the opportunity for Phuc Huynh, Hoang Nam, Linh Giang or Vinh Hien to test their own abilities.

Pickleball singles is a strength that has been confirmed by four tennis players in Asia. However, to reach out to the world and meet better opponents is still a special experience.

In the PPA Tour Asia Hangzhou Open 2025, a total of 372 players will participate. The match schedule from December 4 will be broadcast live on the FPT Play platform for Vietnamese audiences to watch.

QUANG THINH

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tu-dai-danh-don-pickleball-viet-nam-san-vang-o-giai-ppa-asia-hang-chau-20251202172544116.htm