Students returning from European studies brought tennis to Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand in the early 20th century. Army officers introduced the sport in Philippines when that nation was under United States control. Tennis gradually spread to nearby countries. Myanmar produced notable Davis Cup teams in the 1950s. Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei also became regional powers in the sport as well. Although Southeast Asia is bracketed by historic tennis powerhouses India and Australia, the region has never enjoyed that level of international prominence.
Tennis Pioneers in Southeast Asia
King Prapokklao Rama VII of Thailand formed the Lawn Tennis Association of Thailand in 1926 and helped fuel the growth of the sport in that country and region. Dwight Davis, a former college tennis star and founder of the Davis Cup international competition, became the Philippines' Governor-General in 1929. He was instrumental in building tennis courts and stadiums and promoting the sport. With stars like Lope Yngayo, his country's first Davis Cup match winner, Philippines became a regional force. It was the Eastern Zone champion in 1957, 1958, 1960 and 1964.
Growth of Tennis in the Region
Myanmar became a tennis hotbed during the middle of the 20th century, sending teams to Davis Cup competition in 1955, 1963 and 1964. Tennis was also popular in Vietnam before the war and the political upheaval that followed. It played in the Davis Cup between 1964 and 1974, but not again again until 2003. Singapore made its Cup debut in 1984. Indonesia has twice reached the Davis Cup World Group, in 1983 and 1989, and reached the World Group playoffs in 1994.The tennis competition in The Asian Games also helped fuel the sport's growth. In 1966, Thailand built its National Tennis Stadium as part of the sports venue needed to host that event. Additional improvements for later Asian Games made it a growth center in the region. Thailand reached the World Group in Davis Cup play in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006.
Collegiate Opportunity in the United States
Filipino tennis stars Beeyong Sison and Perfecto Alina Jr. won U.S. junior college titles in the mid-'70s, moved up to major college tennis and helped pave the way for fellow countrymen to earn college scholarships in the decades that followed. Beeyong, a protege of 1960s Wimbledon veteran Willie Hernandez Jr., went on to play in all the Grand Slam events -- Wimbledon, U.S. Open, French Open and Australian Open -- and face tennis legends like Stan Smith, Bob Lutz, Guillermo Vilas and Vijay Amrithraj in doubles play.
Contemporary Stars
American-born Cecil Mamiit won a NCAA singles title at USC, became a stalwart for the Philippines Davis Cup squad and earned victories over the likes of Michael Chang during his pro career. He was still active a playing captain in Davis Cup play in 2011. World-ranked men in 2011 from Southeast Asia included Christopher Rungkat of Indonesia and Danai Udomchoke and Kittipong Wachiramanowong of Thailand. World-ranked women include Tamarine Tansurgarn and Nudnida Luangnam and Noppawan Lertcheewarkarn of Thailand.
Modern State of Tennis
The 2011 ATP World Tour included tournaments in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. The International Tennis Federation staged major junior tournaments in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Philippines in 2011. Former Filipino star Perfecto Alina Jr, believes the sport has a bright future in his country, which competes in Group 1 of the Davis Cup Asia / Oceania region. "We have more participants in every tournament; more parents are involved in tennis," Alina Jr. told PhilTenn.com. "There are more racket companies sponsoring tournaments like Dunlop, Wilson, Head, Penn and Prince There are colleges and universities that are offering tennis scholarships in college, high school and even elementary." Indonesia and Thailand competed in Group II of this Davis Cup region, Malaysia and Myanmar competed in Group III and Singapore competed in Group IV.
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