Aiming high: Defending champ Ly Hoang Nam maintained his bid to win the second title at the national tennis championship, yesterday thrashing Lam Quang Tri in the quarter-finals 6-2, 6-1. — VNS Photo Quang Thang

HA NOI (VNS)  — Defending champion Ly Hoang Nam took a step closer to the final at the national tennis championships after reaching the semi-finals with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Lam Quang Tri.

Nam will take on Trinh Linh Giang for a place in the final. Giang pulled off a surprise by downing experienced Tran Thanh Hoang in three sets.

Giang stunned Hoang 6-2 in the first set but Hoang recovered to take the second set 7-6 to force a decider, which Giang took 6-3.

Another title contender Nguyen Hoang Thien is still on course to winning his first national title after thrashing veteran Le Quoc Khanh 6-2, 6-1 to cruise into the last four.

Thien will face Pham Minh Tuan in the other semi-final, who needed three sets to see off Vu Aterm 6-1, 1-6, 6-1.

In the women's singles, top seed Huynh Phuong Dai Trang has yet to drop a set en route to the semi-finals, defeating Pham Thuy Thuong 6-1, 6-0.

Trang will face Phan Thi Thanh Binh, who crushed Dao Minh Trang 6-1, 6-2.

Tran Thi Tam Hao also made it through to the last four with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Nguyen Thi Be Xuyen.

Hao will take on Huynh Phi Khanh in the semi-finals. Khanh caused the shock of the round by stunning last year's runner-up Nguyen Ai Ngoc Van 6-2, 6-3.

There were no surprises in the doubles events as the top seeds sailed through to the next round with comfortable wins. — VNS