Teen tennis player Huynh Phuong Dai Trang won her first national tennis title after overcoming Huynh Mai Huynh in an electrifying three-set final of the National Top Tennis Players Championship.

Da Nang-based Trang, who lost to Huynh in straight sets in the preliminary stage, played her best match in the tournament to beat Huynh 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, leaving the HCM City-based seven-time champion in second place for two consecutive years.

Last year, Huynh also finished second after being defeated by Ha Noi-based Nguyen Thuy Dung in the final. Dung withdrew from this year’s tournament because of an injury.

“Huynh still played well today but she seemed a little complacent after thrashing me in the preliminary round. Today, I played good tennis,” Trang, who is only 16-years-old, said after the final.

“I am very delighted because this is my first national title.”

Meanwhile Huynh said: “Trang played very well today. She is a professional tennis player with a big investment from her family and has played in some international tennis tournaments while in recent years I have only played at local competitions.”

It was a well-deserved win for Trang who has been consistently improving. She received a trophy and VND10 million (US$550).

She made fierce shots and smashes at the net, dominating the first set before breaking in the sixth and eighth games to finish it 6-2.

Experienced Huynh bounced back in the second set to even the match. She pushed the ball down the baseline and used cross-courts to limit her opponent’s strong forehand, draining Trang’s energy causing unforced errors.

Entering the decisive set, Trang regained her form with precise backhands and forehands. Trang broke the first and seventh games to lead 5-2. Huynh pulled back a game but Trang broke Huynh’s serve to close out the victory.

The win cemented Trang’s progress after being a semifinalist at the 2009 International Junior Tennis Championships in HCM City and the winner of the same championship in Ha Noi a week later. Trang also played well in the recent 25th SEA Games in Laos.

In the men’s competition, defending champion Do Minh Quan continued dominating local tennis after successfully defending his title, making it his seventh for the tournament.

Quan came back from one set down to beat Bui Tri Nguyen 5-7, 6-1, 6-0. Nguyen was playing in his maiden final at the national contest.

Early breaks of serve in the first set gave Quan a 5-1 lead but after he lost his composure and concentration because of shouts from a spectator, lost six games in a row.

However, Quan regained his cool to easily beat Nguyen 6-1 in the second set and 6-0 in the deciding set to lift his seventh trophy and VND15 million ($830) prize money.

According to Quan, Vietnamese tennis players need international competitions and foreign coaches to improve their skills.

VietNamNet/VNS