Venus Williams and other heavyweights ready to set Hong Kong Open alight
Big names will hit the courts today as the tournament gets off to an auspicious start with 'People's Monday'
"People's Monday" attracted an enthusiastic crowd to Victoria Park yesterday as organisers allowed the public free access to the tournament grounds to get their first sighting of this year's main draw and a taster for the heavyweights who are set to join the action today.
On a day when the biggest names involved this week were catching up on some well-earned rest after exploits on the mainland in the run-up to the US$250,000 Prudential Hong Kong Open, spectators were still treated to some exciting tennis.
If there was disappointment about the late withdrawal on Sunday night of top seed Garbine Muguruza among a public who had already been deprived of some of this year's marquee names, they didn't let it spoil their fun as the "Tournament Village" outside centre court thronged early on and an excitable crowd enjoyed a series of close encounters.
It's a very tough match for me. A big crowd will support Zhang Ling
Doubles action also got under way yesterday as one of two all Hong-Kong pairings fell at the first hurdle. Sher Chun-wing and Wu Ho-ching were beaten 6-3, 6-3 by the Taiwanese/Thai pairing of Chuang Chia-jung and Luksika Kumkhum.
The duo of American Lauren Davis and Japan's Kurumi Nara was also knocked out 6-4, 6-3 by Taiwanese team Chan Chin-wei and Lee Ya-hsuan.
