This past week, current Chinese number four Yuan Meng made one of her frequent stopovers in Hong Kong for some training ahead of next week's US$25,000 ITF Women's Circuit event in Taizou, while a 12U team from Guangzhou's Yue Xiu Qu Tennis Association was also in town for a friendly match with a TG 12U Squad.
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As of this week, Yuan Meng at No. 123 ranks just behind Li Na (WTA 30), Peng Shuai (47), and Yan Zi (62) in the National side's pecking order. Tournament-wise, she has also been the most hardworking, having competed in 33 events so far this season, compared with 24 for teenager Zhang Shuai (WTA 153) and 21 for both Sun Tiantian (WTA 227) and Peng Shuai.
"She likes to hit with some of our athletes in the past and we have felt been happy to oblige when we can as she is a good role model for training work on court. She sets a high standard for herself in training. The intensity, purpose, and desire she brings always sets a great example for our athletes," said HKTA Director of Coaching and Development, Ray Kelly.
For the C25 Taizou, Yuan Meng is the projected top seed ahead of compatriot, Zhang Shuai, followed by Russia's Regina Kulikova (168), Chan Chin-Wei of Chinese Taipei (205), and Natsumi Hamamura of Japan (227).
Moreover, other notable overseas players have also made stopovers in Hong Kong from time to time. These include the likes of former Harvard No. 1, Jonathan Chu; former world junior Top-25, William Ward of New Zealand; junior world No. 6, Aussie John-Patrick Smith; and ATP Touring pro, Vijay Kannan of India, to name a few.
As for the 12U friendly match against representatives of Yue Xiu Qu Tennis Association, a regional tennis association from Guangzhou, there were in fact two days' of play in all over the weekend, with Saturday featuring a combined HKTA Potential/Development Squad team, while Sunday saw a combined TG team go up against the same 8-player (2 girls, 6 boys) team from the visitors.
The Guangzhou team ended up winning by a two-day combined score of 24-8 but the outcome of the friendly was of much less significance than the opportunity to savour the great competitive atmosphere and to test one's skills against his/her peers in a spirited yet good-natured encounter.
Such friendlies are always high on the agenda since match-play experience is recognized as a key ingredient to the overall development of any player.
Players from Hong Kong who took part in the friendly were:
From Causeway Bay: Yuen Cheuk Yin and Marcus Lam
From TGA: Suki Law, Oscar Cheung and Eudice Chong
From SKM: Cheng Hoi Ming and Sam Wong