ĐÀ NẴNG — Top Vietnamese tennis players Lý Hoàng Nam, Trịnh Linh Giang and Lê Quốc Khánh have been awarded wildcard entries to compete in the Việt Nam Tennis Open Đà Nẵng City 2019 in the central city on January 6-12.

It’s the first time the central city has hosted a professional tennis tournament with 48 players in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP)’s top ranking taking part.

Vice Chairman and General Secretary of the Việt Nam Tennis Federation Nguyễn Quốc Kỳ said at a press conference on Friday, the tournament will be a tough challenge for Vietnamese players.

He said top seeds Spain’s Marcel Granollers, the 96th–ranked ATP; Teymuraz Gabashvili from Russia, who placed 369th in ATP’s rankings, and India’s Saketh Myneni – who won the men’s singles title at the Việt Nam Open in 2015 will also compete in the men’s singles and doubles at Tiên Sơn Sports Village for total cash prizes of US$55,000.

Kỳ said local players would earn precious points from winning matches at the tournament and improve their ATP’s rankings.

The men’s singles winner will walk away with $7,200 and earn 80 points in the ATP rankings, while the double title victors will get a cash prize of $3,100 and 80 points.

As planned, qualifying matches will be played at three courts of the sport village from 11am, while main draw matches will begin from 6pm on January 6-12.

The opening ceremony will be held at 6pm on January 6.

Lý Hoàng Nam and Trịnh Linh Giang will compete in the men’s singles, while Nam with teammate Lê Quốc Khánh will play in the doubles.

Trịnh Linh Giang and American-Vietnamese Daniel Nguyễn will register in the doubles event.

The tournament will be free for all visitors and local residents.

At the Hưng Thịnh Challenger Vietnam Open tennis tournament in HCM City last year, Russian Mikhail Youzhny grabbed the men’s singles title after a 6-4, 6-4 win over Australian John Millman.

Last year, Vietnamese Lý Hoàng Nam of Việt Nam, who played with Sumit Nagal of India in the doubles, was knocked out from the first round after losing to Ti Chen of Taipei (China) and Australian Max Purcell 2-6, 6-2, 7-10 (super tie break). — VNS