After defeating Malaysia, 2-1, earlier on Friday at the World Junior Tennis Asia/Oceania Qualifying in Shenzhen, the sixth-seeded HK team of Kevin Wong, Kelvin Lam, and Vincent Yau is to face-off with Chinese Taipei in the 5th – 6th Place Playoff at the East Lake Tennis Club today. However, at the time of writing, WJT Boys' Team Captain, Michael Lai, reports from Shenzhen that heavy rain has wreaked havoc on the day's schedule. Play has been suspended until further notice.

[Full Results]   [Gallery]

Meanwhile, in yesterday's 5th – 8th Place Playoff against Malaysia, Vincent Yau was given his first start in singles at the two spot. Although he played a much better second set and led 5-1 at one stage, opposing number Mohd Assri Merzuki managed to carve out a 6-4, 7-5 win in the end to put the Malaysians ahead 1-0.

Kelvin Lam then quickly restored parity at number one singles when he easily manhandled Syed Mohamad Agil Naguib, 6-2, 6-0, before teaming up with Kevin Wong to win the deciding doubles in commanding fashion against Merzuki and Naguib, 6-2, 6-4, to secure a showdown with Chinese Taipei for outright 5th place.

"We put Vincent in for the second singles, and he was a bit nervous because it was his first singles start in the whole tournament. He had a great opportunity in the second set and he was leading 5-1. Kelvin had an easy one at number one singles. In doubles, Kevin and Kelvin played very well put in 100 percent every point, great attitude. We will be playing against Chinese Taipei, who beat No. 7 seed Uzbekistan," added Coach Lai.

A win against the Taiwanese today would net the boys from Hong Kong a best finish at the World Junior Tennis Asia/Oceania Qualifying since Martin Sayer led the territory's 14 & Under team to 3rd place in 2001 in Sri Lanka. That year, of course, was also the last time Hong Kong qualified for the World Finals.

The first time a boys' team from Hong Kong achieved such a feat was in 1994 when the two-pronged attack of Jason Sankey and Wayne Wong secured the territory's first-ever qualification to the World Finals in this competition by placing second behind only Lleyton Hewitt's Australia in the Asia/Oceania Qualifying.

In the subsequent World Finals held at the Yamanakako Tennis Club in Japan that year, the HK duo took to the courts with the likes of Belgium's Xavier Malisse and Hewitt for a second time round after having drawn to face the Aussies in both the regional qualifiers and in the finals that year.

Since the event's inception in 1991, no girls' team from Hong Kong has ever qualified for the WJT Finals.

Elsewhere, the final on Saturday pits No. 3 seed China up against fourth-seeded Korea, just as Coach Lai had predicted earlier in the week. In the semifinals on Friday, China beat No. 1 seed India 2-1 by coming back from a 3-1 deficit in the third set of the deciding doubles against Ronit Bisht and Digvijay Singh. Korea, on the other hand, won both singles in straight sets before the second-seeded Aussies managed to get on board by winning the meaningless doubles.

Stay Tuned.

The World Junior Tennis Competition is the ITF Team Championships for Boy and Girls of 14 & Under. Notable players who have competed in the WJT over the years included Tommy Haas, Xavier Malisse, Lleyton Hewitt, Guillermo Coria, David Nalbandian, Rafael Nadal, Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters, Amelie Mauresmo, Lina Krasnoroutskaya, Daniela Hantuchova.

Results
World Junior Tennis Asia/Oceania Qualifying
East Lake Tennis Club, Shenzhen, China
14 – 19 April 2008

Group 2 (Round Robins)

Day 1 (Apr 14)

(6)HONG KONG defeated PHILIPPINES   3 – 0
R-1 Kevin Wong (HKG) d. Juan Paolo Cansino (PHI) 6-2 6-0
R-2 Kelvin Lam (HKG) d. Arjohn Dela Cruz (PHI) 6-1 6-0
R-3 Kelvin Lam/Vincent Yau (HKG) d. Enrique Gabriel Ferrer/Juan Paolo Casino (PHI) 6-1 6-0

Day 2 (Apr 15)

(6)HONG KONG defeated NEW ZEALAND   3 – 0
R-1 Kevin Wong (HKG) d. Harry James (NZL) 6-0 6-0
R-2 Kelvin Lam (HKG) d. Tutermoara Durie (NZL) 6-4 6-1
R-3 Kevin Wong/Vincent Yau (HKG) d. Tutermoara Durie/Tom Sizeland (NZL) 6-0 6-0

Day 3 (Apr 16)

(3)CHINA defeated (6)HONG KONG   3 - 0
R-1 Cai Zhao (CHN) d. Kevin Wong (HKG) 6-2 6-4
R-2 Gao Xin (CHN) d. Kelvin Lam (HKG) 6-1 2-6 6-2
R-3 Cai Zhao/Tao Jun-Nan (CHN) d. Kevin Wong/Vincent Yau (HKG) 6-4 4-6 6-4

Day 4 (Apr 17)

Quarterfinals
(2)AUSTRALIA defeated (6)HONG KONG   3 – 0
R-1 Jack Schipanski (AUS) d. Kevin Wong (HKG) 6-1 6-1
R-2 Luke Saville (AUS) d. Kelvin Lam (HKG) 4-6 6-4 6-2
R-3 Jack Schipanski/Jordan Thompson (AUS) d. Kelvin Lam/Vincent Yau (HKG) 6-0 6-0 (walkover)

Day 5 (Apr 18)

5th – 8th Place Playoffs
(6)HONG KONG defeated MALAYSIA   2 – 1
R-1 Mohd Assri Merzuki (MAS) d. Vincent Yau (HKG) 6-4 7-5
R-2 Kelvin Lam (HKG) d. Syed Mohamad Agil Naguib (MAS) 6-2 6-0
R-3 Kelvin Lam/Kevin Wong (HKG) d. M.A. Merzuki/S.M.A. Naguib (MAS) 6-2 6-4