A ruthlessly efficient Yu Hiu Tung became only the sixth player to win three or more men's singles titles when he defeated No. 4 seed Goran Bosalevski, 6-1, 6-3, at the CRC Open 2006 earlier on Sunday. Meanwhile, top-seeded Tong Ka Po was thwarted from becoming the first six-time winner when she went down against second seed and WTA No. 676, Zhang Ling, 6-3, 6-4.

Following his third success in four career finals, Yu Hiu Tung (2001-02, 2006) joins Michael Walker (1988-91), Randall King (1980-82, 1985), Tau Luu (1970-77), To Kwun Kau (1949-50, 1953, 1956, 1961), and the legendary Ip Koon Hung (1948, 1951-52, 1954, 1957-60, 1962-64) as the only players to own at least three CRC Open men's singles titles.

Having captured the men's doubles together with Wayne Wong on Saturday, Yu Hiu Tung (2002, 2006) also became just the fourth player to achieve the "double" at least twice here at the CRC Open, joining the likes of Colin Grant (1984, 1993), Tau Luu (1972, 1977), and Ip Koon Hung (1952, 1954, 1957, 1962).

Against Goran on Sunday, Tung came off the blocks flying as he broke the ex-Macedonia Davis Cupper's opening two service games to jump out to a rapid-fire, 4-0, lead. He had a game point for 5-0 but to Goran's credit, he managed to force deuce and finally broke serve on his fourth break point opportunity of this game. However, he was not able to consolidate, as Tung broke back immediately to restore his double break advantage. He saved another break point at 40-30 down in the ensuing game before he reeled off the next three points courtesy of some heavily whipped crosscourt forehands to secure the opening set, 6-1.

It was even-steven throughout the first six games of the second set, especially with both players throwing down some thumping first deliveries. At 3-3, Tung again made the move first and held a break point with Goran trailing 30-40 on his own serve. The HKSI coach again fought back to deuce but it wasn't nearly enough to fend off a player who has the finish line in sight, as Tung lost only one more point thereafter to close out a 6-1, 6-3, win in just a little under an hour.

In the ladies' singles final, it was a brutal dogfight, as evidenced by the opening game when it took Tong Ka Po no less than five deuces just to hold serve. In fact, statistics showed that when Tong Ka Po was serving, games went to deuce seven out of ten times, while Zhang Ling at 17, eight years to her junior, was taken to deuce only three times whenever she was serving.

Nevertheless, it was the former five-time champion who drew first blood, as she broke her younger opponent's serve to go up, 2-0. In the ensuing game, she then wasted five game points while fending off a couple of break points along the way before finally consolidating for 3-0. However, these two players own similar power games and almost every point was defined by full-blown, side-to-side heavy hitting. Though not exactly a veteran at age 25, the length of time she had been off the pro circuit certainly told in terms of match-play conditioning, as the No. 2 seed was gradually gaining an upper hand.

After breaking Tong Ka Po to trail 3-2, Zhang Ling faced two break points at 40-15 down in the next game. However, the top seed failed to capitalize and wasted another one on second deuce to allow her opponent to get back to a level-pegging 3-3. She then yielded her serve twice more as the 17-year-old took the opening set 6-3.

The second set was a similar story to the first. Having regrouped following the changeover, Tong Ka Po broke in the third game and then held serve to lead 3-1. She had a game point at 40-30 in her next two service games but failed to hold on either occasion as her younger opponent again took advantage of her superiority fitness-wise to jump out to a 5-3 lead. The number one seed did well to regain one of the lost breaks by breaking Zhang Ling when she was attempting to serve for the match. However, like any of her other service games, the former HK number one was made to work extra hard. She did well to ward off a match point when trailing 40-30 in the tenth game, but it was not enough to stem the tide, as Zhang Ling managed to take the last two points for a, 6-3, 6-4, victory in an hour and forty-five minutes.

With the loss, Tong Ka Po was prevented from bettering the all-time record in singles titles (five) she currently shares with Paulette Moreno. In addition, with the ladies' doubles and mixed doubles already won yesterday, she was stopped short of claiming her second career "triple" here at the CRC Open.

Ladies' All-Time Records:

Players who had won the ladies' singles, doubles, and mixed doubles in the same year: Patricia Hy (1978), Paulette Moreno (1984-85), and Tong Ka Po (1999)

Players to hold five or more ladies' singles titles: Paulette Moreno (1981-82, 1984-85, 1992) and Tong Ka Po (1996-97, 1999, 2001, 2004)

Players to hold five or more ladies' doubles titles: Tong Ka Po (1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2006)

Results
58th CRC Open Hardcourt Tennis Championships
Chinese Recreation Club, Hong Kong
October-November 2006

MEN'S SINGLES FINAL
(3)Yu Hiu Tung d. (4)Goran Bosalevski 6-1 6-3

LADIES' SINGLES FINAL
(2)Zhang Ling d. (1)Tong Ka Po 6-3 6-4

MEN'S DOUBLES FINAL
(1)Wayne Wong/Yu Hiu Tung d. (2)Michael Lai/Vijay Kannan 3-6 6-3 6-3

LADIES' DOUBLES FINAL
Tong Ka Po/Cindy Lee d. (2)Maggie Deng/He Chun-Yan 6-1 6-3

MIXED DOUBLES FINAL
(1)Wayne Wong/Tong Ka Po d. Goran Bosalevski/Cindy Lee 6-2 6-2

For complete round by round results and draws of the CRC Open 2006, visit the official website www.crcopen.com.