LY LIGHTS UP HANOI AS MAIN DRAW ACTION BEGINS

The MB Hanoi Cup 2026 main draw kicked off on Thursday and it did not ease anyone in gently.

Ly sends the home crowd into overdrive

Hometown hero Hoang Nam Ly took down #2 seed Christian Alshon in a Men’s Singles thriller. The scoreline: 12-10, 0-11, 12-10. The first game went down to the wire. The second was a total reset as Alshon ran away with it. Then the third came down to match point, where a tight call sparked the kind of reaction you want from an opening day. The stadium was loud, social media lit up, and you can bet courts around the world were talking about it long after the final point.

Alshon took gold at the Panas Malaysia Cup 2025, so he knows what it takes in Asia. But Ly, who collected three bronze medals across the 2025 season before breaking through with gold at the Vibrant Linping Hangzhou Open, wasn’t letting this one slip. The home crowd has their man deep in the draw.

Waters makes her entrance

Anna Leigh Waters got off to the perfect start on her Asia debut. Straight game wins in both Mixed Doubles with Ben Johns and Women’s Doubles with Anna Bright. Just the queens doing queen things.

_{Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright delivering the goods on Championship Court.}

Kim and Wong make a statement in doubles

Eunggwon Kim and Hong Kit Wong dismantled Tyson McGuffin and Riley Newman 11-5, 11-2. It was a rapid pace win for one of Asia’s most consistent pairs. But it also broke a win streak. The loss was McGuffin’s first in Men’s Doubles in Asia, having won both titles at the MB Vietnam Cup and Panas Malaysia Cup in 2025 with Eric Oncins.

For Kim and Wong, it’s the kind of performance they’ve been building toward. The pair picked up a silver and multiple bronzes across the 2025 season but the top step has eluded them. That includes a heartbreaking 10-12 third game in the Hong Kong Open final. They’ll be hoping this run has a different ending.

Up next

Action resumes at 8:00 AM (GMT+7) on Friday, with singles first up on Championship and Grandstand Courts.