Davis Cup win can boost Hong Kong’s chances at Asian Games, says tennis star Coleman Wong
- Coleman Wong Chak-lam says 3-1 victory over Venezuela in World Group II play-offs ‘very encouraging’ ahead of Hangzhou Games in September
- Hong Kong tennis chief hails young squad for ‘good performance’ and insists the main goal of 2023 is to win medals at the Asian Games
Hong Kong tennis star Coleman Wong Chak-lam believes their 3-1 win over Venezuela in the Davis Cup World Group II play-offs on Sunday could boost their medal chances at the Asian Games later this year.
The must-win tie took place in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, over the weekend, with the loser demoted to Group III in the international team cup competition.
Despite rain interrupting proceedings, Hong Kong duo Wong and Jack Wong Hong-kit delivered their best in both the singles and doubles matches to seal the victory.
“To be honest, it was a really gruelling trip for us,” team captain Liu Jinjian said.
“We had to fly more than 30 hours from Hong Kong, and with the time difference, the hot weather there, and more than 1,000 home spectators cheering [for Venezuela], and the sudden rain, all of these made our trip even more difficult, and I’m happy that our team got through it.”
It was world No 737 Coleman Wong who earned the city’s first point by defeating Rafael Abdul Salam 6-2, 6-3 in the first singles, with 24-year-old Jack Wong going down 6-3, 3-6, 6- 3 against Ricardo Rodriguez, the world No 828.
