Local-bred Wayne Wong justified his top billing by putting forth a workmanlike performance to hack down former world No. 229 and Irish Davis Cupper, Peter Clarke, 7-6(8), 6-3, after having needed four set points in the opening tiebreak and later conjuring a five-game, match-clinching run from 3-1 down in the second to capture his first CRC Open title on Sunday.

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Elsewhere, the other two finals at the CRC Open 2004 on Sunday saw the Aussie combo of Jamie Holmes and Giovanni Muratore defeat defending champions John Hui and Melvin Tong in the Men's Doubles title match, 6-3, 7-6(1), while the top-seeded duo of Lam Po Kuen and Cindy Lee took the Ladies' Doubles crown by demolishing No. 2 seeds Evelina Leung and Wendy Lau, 6-0, 6-2.

In the highly anticipated showdown between the top two men's seeds, Clarke started with a bang, throwing down two aces in the opening game to start things off with a flurry before Wayne held somewhat tentatively for 1-1, perhaps realising the added pressure of playing in a an open tourney held at a club where he grew up at and on the very same courts where he learnt his trade.

In the third game, the second seed from Ireland saved three break points, two at 15-40, and then another after deuce to hold for 2-1. The two then held serve confidently until the ninth game when Clarke again faced break point at 30-40 after failing to dig up another heavily sliced backhand from Wayne deep into his off-forehand corner. But the former world No. 229 came up with two blistering forehands of his own, sandwiched between an error by Wayne, to take the next three points for 5-4.

After both players held at love to take the score to 6-5, Wayne served his first two aces of the match in the next game to take proceedings into a tiebreak.

The ensuing tiebreak was a tense one as neither player was able to stamp their authority and traded numerous mini-breaks, with Wayne being the only player succeeding in holding both his service points for 5-4, after the top seed came up with a blinding backhand down-the-line pass on the run at full stretch that had the crowd at a defeaning roar. After Clarke held for 5-5, the Hong Kong Davis Cupper had set points at 6-5, 7-6, and then 8-7, only to see Clarke save them all with two forehand winners and a service winner.

Finally, on his fourth set point at 9-8, another low, wicked heavy slice deep to the Clarke baseline forced the Irishman to mishit wide, again having trouble digging it up with his topspin forehand, to hand the opening set to Wayne on his fourth set point, 10-8.

The second set saw Wayne started mighty lethargically, losing his serve in the opening game behind two double faults, the second one coming at 15-40. In the next game, Clarke had his own serve under siege as an off-forehand winner by the No. 1 seed and another heavily sliced backhand allowed Wayne to break back right away for 1-1.

Although the top seed saved three break points, a result of yet another pair of dreamy double faults to fall behind 15-40, Clarke broke again to wrestle back the early second set advantage to lead 2-1. The Irishman then finally consolidated easily for a seemingly momentous 3-1 lead.

After scoffing down a timely banana courtesy of his mother during the changeover following a love hold for 3-2, Wayne produced a title-clinching four-game sweep, holding at love in the seventh game and breaking the second seed in the sixth and eighth games, after the Irishman was growing frustrated at having to go low to dig up the seemingly endless heavy slices deep into his backhand corner, not to mention a clever lob at 30-30 in the sixth game that had Clarke scurrying back for a smash that he dumped into the net.

Down double break and with Wayne serving for the match at 5-3, the Irishman was looking at 40-15 and two match points against him. Clarke gave it one last shout and forced deuce with two consecutive points, saving the second match point with a well executed, deep backhand approach. But two more nasty backhand slices deep into the Clarke territory by Wayne forced a couple of forehand errors by the No. 2 seed that finally proved too much to overcome, with the CRC-bred, local boy taking the title in straight sets, 7-6(8), 6-3.

The last time Wayne had reached the final of a local major was at the Furama Hong Kong Open in 1997 – just one month shy of his 16th birthday – when he produced a Houdini act to overcome a 4-1 third set deficit against former Hong Kong No. 1 Pang Lui in the semis, who was still at the peak of his powers, before taking the venerable Shane Barr to three sets in the final. He remains one of the youngest players, if not the youngest, to reach the men's singles final of a local major.

Having attended UC Berkeley the last four years and being a starter throughout his collegiate tennis career, unless records suggest otherwise, he was the first player from the territory to be installed as the No. 1 singles player on an NCAA Division I team in the US after competing at the top spot during his senior year. He attained a highest NCAA ranking of No. 41 in February 2004.

Previous notable names from Hong Kong to play NCAA Division I tennis that reached as high as the No. 2 singles spot on their respective teams included Mark Bailey (Kentucky), Rolf Harrison (Princeton), Sven Kohler (Duke), and John Hui (Pepperdine).

Since graduating this summer, Wayne has been competing in a number of pro circuit events in the region, including representing Hong Kong (together with Yu Hiu Tung and Lam Po Kuen) at the Asian Championships in Tashkent, and has a current ATP ranking of No. 1221. He is looking to play full-time on the Tour in the coming year.

Hong Kong Davis Cup Captain, Derek Ling, had this to say: "Glad to see Wayne improve to another level. I hope that with more exposure to the professional tennis world, Wayne will help Hong Kong achieve encouraging results in next year's Davis Cup, All China Games, as well as the East Asian Games."

First held in 1948, the hardcourt edition of the Chinese Recreation Club (CRC) Open Tennis Championships is the final leg of the three local majors, which is preceded by the Hong Kong Nationals and the SCAA Open earlier in the calendar year.

Photos courtesy of CRC Open 2004