Vietnam’s Duong Quoc Hoang secured a crucial 5-3 singles victory over Albania’s Eklent Kaçi, putting Team Asia ahead 2-1 in the 2024 Reyes Cup.
Team Asia took the lead in the 2024 Reyes Cup behind an impressive singles victory by Vietnam’s Duong Quoc Hoang, who defeated Albania’s Eklent Kaçi, 5-3.
The win came during the third match on Day 1 at the Ninoy Aquino National Stadium in Manila, putting Team Asia ahead 2-1 in the highly-competitive tournament.
[ALSO READ: Aloysius Yapp, Ko Pin-yi put Team Asia on the board after doubles victory in 2024 Reyes Cup]
Hoang, known for his precision and calm demeanor, delivered a clutch performance in his singles match against the formidable Kaçi.
The Vietnamese star started strong, winning the second and third racks with break-and-run play, immediately putting the Albanian pool star on the defensive.
Kaçi, however, came right back with two straight rack wins to tie the game at 3-all.
[ALSO READ: Team Europe completes stunning reverse sweep of Team Asia to open 2024 Reyes Cup]
In the crucial seventh rank, Hoang pulled off the critical victory to put him within match point, before closing it out in the eighth after Kaçi ended up with a scratch in the initial break.
Hoang’s win gave Team Asia its second consecutive victory after the doubles triumph by Aloysius Yapp and Ko Pin Yi earlier in the night.
With the overall score at 2-1 in their favor, Team Asia is looking to further build on this momentum, hoping to tighten its lead in the first of the four-day joust.
The fourth match will feature hometown bets Johann Chua and Carlo Biado, with the Pinoy pair going up against Jayson Shaw and Mickey Krause.
Day 1 Results:
- Team Europe 5-4 Team Asia (Team Match)
- Aloysius Yapp and Ko Pin Yi (Asia) 5-2 David Alcaide and Francisco Sanchez Ruiz (Europe)
- Duong Quoc Hoang (Asia) 5-3 Eklent Kaçi (Europe)