While No. 8 seed Shao Yijia had to retire against Maggie Ng on Wednesday at the Hong Kong ITF Junior Tournament, Eudice Chong (ITF 998) needed three hours before putting away her plucky opponent Chu Chih-Hsien, 7-5, 4-6, 6-1, to reach the quarterfinals.

Draws & Order of Play

"I played well today," said Eudice Chong after the three-hour marathon. "But I didn't make the necessary adjustments in the second set and made some costly errors. I felt she was tiring a little bit in the third set and I was able to finish the points better by moving forward and taking the ball early in the air and that was the difference."

The match between Eudice Chong and Chu Chih-Hsien was a seesawing affair with both players fending off multiple break points on the one hand, while not being able to capitalize on a plethora of game points on the other.

After exchanging an early break of serve, Chu Chih-Hsien broke serve again following seven long deuces to lead 3-1. She went on to consolidate that break by holding serve in the ensuing game following another half dozen of protracted deuces.

Just when it seemed momentum was slipping away, Eudice Chong broke back immediately and went on a three-game roll to force a 4-4 impasse with a string of sweetly struck forehand winners.

The HK rep then made the winning break in the penultimate game before holding serve to take the opener, 7-5.

In the second set, Eudice Chong broke Chu Chih-Hsien at love to open up a quick-fire 2-0 lead.

However, the Taiwanese was able to frustrate her opponent with some plucky resistance and forced the local entry into making a number of uncharacteristic errors. Chu Chih-Hsien carved open a double break by winning four games on the trot to establish a 4-2 lead.

Although Eudice Chong was able to break back to force a 4-4 stalemate, her Taiwanese opponent managed to return the favour immediately and conjured the late crucial break to strong-arm the set, 6-4.

At 1-1 in the deciding set, however, Eudice Chong made the tide-turning break when she fended off four game point opportunities from Chu Chih-Hsien and eventually breaking through after five long deuces.

From there, the HK rep picked up her game further by executing a number of drive volley and overhead winners, not to mention out-maneuvering her opponent laterally with crosscourt backhands and pinpoint forehand kill shots.

Eudice Chong bagged the final four games to secure the set and the match, 7-5, 4-6, 6-1, to set up a quarterfinal rendezvous with No. 6 seed Li Na, conqueror of Venus Pang in the round of 16 on Wednesday.

Top-seeded Tamitha Nguyen (ITF 225), meanwhile, was upset by China's big-hitting Zhang Ying (ITF 1624) in three sets, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2.

Maggie Ng (ITF 570) also made it to the last eight in the girls' singles after her opponent, 8th-seeded Shao Yijia, retired when trailing 6-0, 4-0. Next up for Maggie Ng is No. 2 seed Maika Jae Tanpoco, who was stretched in many ways before securing a hard-fought, 7-6(2), 6-3, victory over Carmen Lai.

Over in the boys' singles, three local entries have ventured into the quarterfinals with straight-set victories.

In the top half of the draw, No. 5 seed Andy Lau (ITF 318) saw off compatriot Marco Lam, 7-5, 6-3, and will next face top seed Liu Siyu (ITF 98), who defeated 16th seed Ronald Pak, 6-2, 6-1.

Fourth seed Brian Yeung (ITF 297) was untroubled for the second successive day, as he disposed of No. 15 seed Xu Shuai, 6-3, 6-0, to secure a meeting with tenth-seeded Brit Robbie Ridout (ITF 402) for a place in the semis.

In the opposite bracket, No. 14 seed Kevin Wong (ITF 515) caused a minor upset when he knocked out third-seeded Filipino Jurence Mendoza (ITF 227), 6-3, 6-2.

After an exchange of service breaks to begin the match, Kevin Wong attained the crucial incursion midway through the first set when he broke Mendoza to 15 to establish a 5-2 lead.

Although the 3rd seed managed to save three consecutive set points in the following game to extend the score to 5-3, that was not nearly enough to stop the HK rep from making the final hold to secure the opener, 6-3.

In the second set, the players again exchanged an early break of serve to take proceedings to 2-2.

This time, however, Kevin Wong was in no mood to hang around, as he produced a double break to take the next four games to end the set and the match authoritatively, 6-3, 6-2. Next up, he will tee-off against No. 7 seed Sun Fajing (ITF 339) of China, who defeated No. 11 seed Nuradim Ramdani of Indonesia, 6-2, 6-2.

Sixth-seeded Thai Chayanon Kaewsuto (ITF 333) also booked his place in the last eight after overcoming China's Zhu Zhicheng (ITF 378) in a hotly contested three-hour battle, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(5).

Elsewhere in the boys' doubles, fourth-seeded Brian Yeung and Kevin Wong got past Chen Han Yu and Zhu Jia Cheng, 7-5, 6-2, with plenty to spare and will next face No. 8 seeds Huang Chao-Yu and Tseng Wen-Po of Chinese Taipei for a place in the semifinals.

In the girls' doubles, the unseeded combo of Carmen Lai and Zhang Ying upset top seeds Tamitha Nguyen and Maika Jae Tanpoco in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, to set up a semifinal showdown with China's Kang Jia Qi and Li Huijie.



Results (HKG Players Only)
Hong Kong ITF Junior Tournament (G4)
Victoria Park, Causeway Bay
January 16-21, 2012

BOYS' SINGLES

First Round
Konstantin Strizhkov (RUS) d. John Li (HKG) 6-3 6-4
Marco Lam (HKG) d. Wu Tunglin (TPE) 6-2 6-1
Haru Inoue (JPN) d. (WC)Jack Wong (HKG) 6-0 6-2
Tseng Wen-Po (TPE) d. Oscar Cheung (HKG) 6-2 7-6(6)
Chen Han Yu (TPE) d. Nick Wong (HKG) 6-2 7-5
Ye Junhao (CHN) d. (WC)Alan Sou (HKG) 6-0 6-2
Andrew Li (HKG) d. Huang Yi-Wei (TPE) 7-5 6-4
Richard Lin (TPE) d. Leung Kai Yuen (HKG) 6-3 6-4
Tommy Lam (HKG) d. Hsieh Chao-Ting (TPE) 6-0 6-3
Lee Min-Hsuan (TPE) d. Jeff Chan (HKG) 6-1 6-0
Warot Udomsuk (THA) d. (WC)Lam Chun Hei (HKG) 6-1 6-3
Jonathan Cho (HKG) d. Jeremy Nahor (INA) 3-6 7-6(2) 6-2
Lu Chang-Wu (TPE) d. (WC)Lawrence Lo (HKG) 6-1 6-4
Alistair Hobson (GBR) d. (WC)Yuen Cheuk Yin (HKG) 7-6(1) 6-1
Wang Huixin (CHN) d. Keith Lam (HKG) 6-1 6-0

Second Round
(16)Ronald Pak (HKG) d. Konstantin Strizhkov (RUS) 6-0 6-1
Marco Lam (HKG) d. (12)ARMANDO Soemarno (INA) 6-2 6-1
(5)Andy Lau (HKG) d. Haru Inoue (JPN) 6-3 6-1
(4)Brian Yeung (HKG) d. Tseng Wen-Po (TPE) 6-4 6-0
(8)Singekrawee Wattanakul (THA) d. Andrew Li (HKG) 6-0 6-2
(11)Nuradim Ramdani (INA) d. Tommy Lam (HKG) 6-2 5-7 6-2
(14)Kevin Wong (HKG) d. Lee Min-Hsuan (TPE) 6-0 6-2
(6)Chayanon Kaewsuto (THA) d. Jonathan Cho (HKG) 6-3 6-3
(2)Kelvin Lam (HKG) d. Wang Huixin (CHN) 6-2 6-4

Third Round
(1)Liu Siyu (CHN) d. (16)Ronald Pak (HKG) 6-2 6-1
(5)Andy Lau (HKG) d. Marco Lam (HKG) 7-5 6-3
(4)Brian Yeung (HKG) d. (15)Xu Shuai (CHN) 6-3 6-0
(14)Kevin Wong (HKG) d. (3)Jurence Mendoza (PHI) 6-3 6-2
(13)Huang Chao-Yu (TPE) d. (2)Kelvin Lam (HKG) 3-6 6-0 6-1


GIRLS' SINGLES

First Round
(1)Tamitha Nguyen (PHI) d. Ng Kwan Yau (HKG) 4-6 6-0 6-2
Zhang Ying (CHN) d. Jamie Wong (HKG) 6-1 6-1
Anna Grigoryan (RUS) d. Michelle Lo (HKG) 6-0 6-3
(7)Carina Ma (HKG) d. Satomi Momose (JPN) 6-0 6-0
Eudice Chong (HKG) d. (3)Efriliya Herlina (INA) 6-2 6-4
Chu Chih-Hsien (TPE)d. (WC)Chan Chak Lam (HKG) 6-0 6-0
Venus Pang (HKG) d. Pernilla Wohlstrom (FIN) 6-2 6-2
(6)Li Na (CHN) d. Vivian Lin (HKG) 6-3 7-5
(5)Rongrong Leenabanchong (THA) d. Vickie Ip (HKG) 6-2 6-2
Li Huijie (CHN) d. Christy Chan (HKG) 6-3 6-1
Angelina Skidanova (RUS) d. (WC)Claire Spackman (HKG) 7-6(2) 6-2
(8)Shao Yijia (CHN) d. (WC)Suki Law (HKG) 7-6(3) 6-7(5) 6-3
Maggie Ng (HKG) d. Paige Mary Hourigan (NZL) 2-6 7-5 6-4
(2)Maika Jae Tanpoco (PHI) d. (WC)Janet Law (HKG) 6-1 6-1

Second Round
Anna Grigoryan (RUS) d. (7)Carina Ma (HKG) 6-4 6-0
Eudice Chong (HKG) d. Chu Chih-Hsien (TPE) 7-5 4-6 6-1
(6)Li Na (CHN) d. Venus Pang (HKG) 6-2 6-1
Maggie Ng (HKG) d. (8)Shao Yijia (CHN) 6-0 4-0 Retired
(2)Maika Jae Tanpoco (PHI) d. Carmen Lai (HKG) 7-6(2) 6-3


BOYS' DOUBLES

First Round
Richard Lin/Wu Tunglin (TPE) d. Oscar Cheung/John Li (HKG) 6-3 6-4
Tommy Lam/Ronald Pak (HKG) d. Hsieh Chao-Ting/Haru Inoue (TPE/JPN) 6-2 6-3
Chen Han Yu/Zhu Jia Cheng (CHN) d. Nick Wong/Yuen Cheuk Yin (HKG) 6-3 6-0
Alistair Robson/Robbie Ridout (GBR) d. (WC)Philip Gee/Lam Chun Hei (HKG) 6-1 7-5
(WC)Lawrence Lo/Jack Wong (HKG) d. Huang Yi-Wei/Lu Chang Yu (TPE) 7-6(7) 5-7 [10-7]
Marco Lam/Andrew Li (HKG) d. Jeremy Nahor/Konstantin Strizhkov (INA/RUS) 3-6 7-5 [10-4]
Wang Huixin/Ye Junhao (CHN) d. Keith Lam/Leung Kai Yuen (HKG) 6-0 6-2
Lee Min-Hsuan/Lu Yi Ting (TPE) d. Jeff Chan/Alan Sou (HKG) 6-2 6-3

Second Round
(4)Brian Yeung/Kevin Wong (HKG) d. Chen Han Yu/Zhu Jia Cheng (TPE/CHN) 7-5 6-2
(8)Huang Chao-Yu/Tseng Wen Po (TPE) d. Ronald Pak/Tommy Lam (HKG) 6-0 6-2
(6)Sun Fajing/Xu Shuai (CHN) d. (WC)Lawrence Lo/Jack Wong (HKG) 6-2 6-2
(3)Jurence Mendoza/Singekrawee Wattanakul (PHI/THA) d. Marco Lam/Andrew Li (HKG) 6-4 7-6(3)
Lee Min-Hsuan/Lu Yi-Ting (TPE) d. (2)Kelvin Lam/Andy Lau (HKG) 6-0 6-1


GIRLS' DOUBLES

First Round
(1)Tamitha Nguyen/Maika Jae Tanpoco (PHI) d. Vivian Lin/Venus Pang (HKG) 6-3 6-4
Carmen Lai/Zhang Ying (HKG/CHN) d. Vickie Ip/Chin Hsin-Min (HKG/TPE) 6-1 7-5
Chu Chih-Hsien/Carina Ma (TPE/HKG) d. Eudice Chong/Claire Spackman (HKG) 7-5 2-6 [10-7]
Christy Chan/Janet Law (HKG) d. Ririko Maeda/Angelina Skidanova (HKG/RUS) 1-6 6-4 [10-7]
(3)Li Na/Shao Yijia (CHN) d. Suki Law/Michelle Lo (HKG) 6-3 7-5
Anna Grigoryan/Pernilla Wohlstrom (RUS/FIN) d. Jamie Wong/Satomi Momose (HKG/JPN) 6-4 6-2
Maggie Ng/Ng Kwan Yau (HKG) d. (2)Efriliya Herlina/Rongrong Leenabanchong (INA/THA) 6-7(4) 6-4 [10-6]

Quarterfinals
Carmen Lai/Zhang Ying (HKG/CHN) d. (1)Tamitha Nguyen/Maika Jae Tanpoco (PHI) 6-3 6-3
Kang Jia Qi/Li Huijie (CHN) d. Chu Chih-Hsien/Carina Ma (TPE/HKG) 6-2 7-6(7)
(3)Li Na/Shao Yijia (CHN) d. Christy Chan/Janet Law (HKG) 6-1 6-4
Anna Grigoryan/Pernilla Wohlstrom (RUS/FIN) d. Maggie Ng/Ng Kwan Yau (HKG) 6-4 4-6 [10-4]