Young Vietnamese ace Nguyen Van Phuong came from behind to beat Tomas Kopczynski of the US in the first round of the men’s singles category at the Copa Del Café Junior Tennis Tournament held in Costa Rica on January 16.

Vietnamese ace Nguyen Van Phuong. — Photo sohacdn.com

16-year-old Phuong won 6(1)-6(7), 6-4, 6-1.

Phuong is junior world No 193, while Kopczynski is junior world No 113.

Phuong of Bình Duong team will next meet Sebastian Welch of Chile, junior world No 168. 

Earlier, Phuong and his partner Michael Francis II Eala from the Philippines won the boys’ doubles title at the Eddie Herr tennis tournament in the US in December.

The Copa del Café, which is also called the Coffee Bowl, is an International Tennis Federation (ITF) Grade 1 tennis tournament played every January in Costa Rica. It is part of a junior circuit backed by the ITF and supported by the tennis federations of many countries. — VNS