LookAtVietnam Bridge – Dinh Quang Linh and Nguyen Manh Cuong usurped defending champions Nguyen Nam Hai and Tran Tuan Quynh of Hanoi in the men's doubles at the 26th Nhan Dan Newspaper National Table Tennis Championship on Wednesday at Trinh Hoai Duc Gymnasium.

Tran Tuan Quynh.

Linh from the Army team alongside former national team member Cuong raised their game to win 3-2 after losing their two first sets.

Cuong, 35, who won a gold medal at the 2001 Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia, began a late attack by putting the pressure on Tran Tuan Quynh. Though Quynh helped Hanoi win the men's team title on Tuesday night, he was in poor form in this match, failing to return his left fast plays.

Nguyen Nam Hai attempted to pick up the slack but could not fill the hole left by Quynh's poor performance.

The Hanoian duo took the lead in two first sets, 11-6 and 11-5, but their opponents Linh and Cuong felt the pressure and won the three subsequent sets, 11-9, 11-7, 11-7.

Quynh who took the Southeast Asian Championship in 2002 and the SEA Games Championship in 2003 will bet his title in the men's singles matches tomorrow.

Also on Wednesday, Linh and his teammate Luong Thi Tam from the Army sailed through the mixed doubles semi-finals.

On the women's side, defending champions Luong Thi Tam and Vu Thi Ha suffered a bitter loss 1-3 by Hanoian Ngo Minh Thuy and Tran Thanh Huyen.

Last year's runners-up Mai Xuan Hang and Mai Hoang My Trang, who won the women's team crown on Tuesday, booked their semi-final berth in the women's doubles event on Wednesday.

(Source: Viet Nam News)