Viet Nam's No 1 tennis ace Ly Hoang Nam has been seeded No 11 at the French Open junior competition later this month.

It is the first time in history a Vietnamese athlete has been seeded at a global tennis event.

Nam has set a target of reaching the semi-finals at the tournament which is on May 31-June 6 in Paris.

After his success in recent tournaments, Nam has been ranked No 14 in the world junior table.

"Since the Australian Open's junior circuit, I have improved my tennis a little bit, but I think I have to try harder to play professionally," said Nam.

"My recent titles are thanks to my backhands and serves, which are much better now," he said.

In France, Nam will play against many European rivals and he has prepared his own plans.

"They are always better in body form and physique, resulting in powerful serves. However, young players have their own weak points. Players in the top 50 are at the same level. The important things are experience and mental attitude during matches," Nam said.

Nam added that he had three weeks to prepare for the Roland Garros match, and he would spend two of those weeks improving his physique, since when playing on a clay court there will be more rallies, as balls move slower than on other courts.

Nam's best finish at a Grand Slam junior event was his second round berth at the Australian Open in January.

The 18-year-old also plans to compete at the 56o Trofeo Bonfiglio tournament from May 18-24 in Milan in preparation for the French contest. 

VNS