After reaching the quarterfinals in the ITF M25 Mandya 2024 Tennis Tournament last week, Ly Hoang Nam has extended his stay in India for the M25 Bhopal. Unlike the previous week, where he participated in both men's singles and doubles, the tennis player, hailing from Tay Ninh Province, decided to only compete in the men's singles category this week. This strategic decision aims to ensure his peak physical condition, enabling Hoang Nam to concentrate on his primary objective of improving his world ranking in men's singles.
Even though Ly Hoang Nam has not been updated three points from reaching the quarterfinals of the M25 Mandya tournament last week, he has still ascended by four notches in the global rankings, now sitting at 557. However, he was not seeded like in the previous tournament. Fortunately, the draw favored Hoang Nam, as he was set to face Israeli tennis player Offek Shimanov, currently ranked 862 in the world, who entered the tournament through the qualifying rounds.
Despite having a lower ranking and being just 18 years old, Ofek Shimanov posed a considerable challenge for Ly Hoang Nam in their score chase. In the opening game, where Shimanov served, Vietnam's top-seeded player promptly gained a break point, establishing an early advantage. In the 6th game, the Israeli player fought back, leveling the score to 3/3. Nevertheless, Hoang Nam secured another break, pulling ahead 4/3 and maintaining this advantage to clinch the set with a score of 6/4.
In the second set, Hoang Nam encountered difficulties as Ofek Shimanov took a lead of 3/0. However, showcasing his resilience and experience, Hoang Nam effectively countered the aggressive playstyle of the 18-year-old player. He brilliantly achieved three break points, won six consecutive games, and ultimately staged a comeback to win the set with a score of 6/3.
With a convincing 2-0 victory (6/4, 6/3), Ly Hoang Nam advances to the second round, where he is scheduled to compete against the third seed, Vanshelboim from Ukraine, on January 18.
