After teaming up with Jack Wong to win the crucial doubles, 18-year-old Coleman Wong headed back out on court to beat 11-time men’s singles Futures titlist, Ricardo Rodriguez (VEN), 2-6, 6-1, 6-3, to give the team a 3-1 overall victory against Venezuela.  Hong Kong China will now join Barbados, China, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Jamaica, Latvia, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, New Zealand, Pakistan, Poland, Slovenia, Thailand, and Tunisia in the 2023 World Group II later this year.

R1 Coleman Wong (HKG) v Rafael Abdul Salam (VEN)

After falling behind 0-40 on Abdul Salam’s serve, Coleman Wong ripped an inside-out forehand winner after a protracted baseline exchange to break for 3-1. In the following game, Wong was taken to deuce but nailed another forehand crosscourt winner to consolidate the break to lead 4-1.  The HK rep was never seriously threatened on serve and he broke Abdul Salam again to secure the first set 6-2.

Against the grain, Abdul Salam broke Wong to lead 1-0 at the start of the second, but Wong swiftly returned the favour by breaking back to restore parity at 1-1.  After Wong held to go up 2-1, Abdul Salam fought off a number of break points to draw even at 2-2.  Midway through the set, Wong’s first serve percentage has dropped drastically to below 40% but he still held strong to go up 4-3.  Sensing the finish line is near, Wong mustered up a great return game to break his opponent to love to lead 5-3 before he held confidently to register a 6-2, 6-3 victory.  

Hong Kong, China 1 – 0 Venezuela

R2 Jack Wong (HKG) v Ricardo Rodriguez (VEN)

Jack Wong broke serve first to go up 3-2, but Rodriguez broke back twice in a row to grab the first set 6-3.   The HK rep found a new gear in the second and began to get the upper hand by winning the majority of the protracted baseline exchanges.  Proceedings remained tight, however, as a lone service break in the fourth game was all Wong needed to force a deciding set.  Unfortunately, periodic muscle spasms in his arm started to hamper his ascendency in the encounter and even though he managed to ward off a pair of break points, Rodriguez’s only break in the fourth game was sufficient to see him through to a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win in two-and-a-half-hours of heavy hitting.

Hong Kong, China 1 – 1 Venezuela

R3 Coleman Wong/Jack Wong (HKG) v. Ricardo Rodriguez/Brandon Perez (VEN)

Rodriguez/Perez was quickly down 15-40 on serve in the opening game of the second set but managed to overcome those two break points to hold for 1-0.  On serve at 2-1, a couple of miscues saw the home side break Wong/Wong to go up 3-1.  After Rodriguez/Perez consolidated for a 4-1 lead, the HK duo got the break back in the seventh game to peg the score back to 4-3.  However, in the pivotal eighth game, Wong/Wong really needed to dig deep, as they saved no less than 6 break points before fighting gamely to force a 4-4 stalemate.  Servers then dominated the rest of the way to take proceedings into a tiebreak.

Wong/Wong jumped out to a 3-0 lead and never looked back, with Coleman unleashing a couple of sledgehammer forehands to keep the momentum going, as the HK duo wrapped up the crucial doubles with a 6-1, 7-6(3) victory.

Hong Kong, China 2 – 1 Venezuela

R4 Coleman Wong (HKG) v. Ricardo Rodriguez (VEN)

In the first reverse singles between the two side’s No. 1, Coleman Wong’s normally steady service games uncharacteristically became a liability, as he was broken three times to lose a somewhat nervy first set 6-2.  To his credit, the teenager regrouped immediately and went on a 5-game rampage to start the second set before securing it 6-1 to force a third set decider.

Rodriguez fought tooth and nail to save 7 break points in the third set before Wong finally broke him to go up 4-3.  After consolidating for 5-3, Wong broke his opponent to love to wrap up the opening reverse singles, 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 to cement an unassailable 3-1 lead for the team.

Hong Kong, China 3 – 1 Venezuela

Hong Kong China will now join Barbados, China, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Jamaica, Latvia, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, New Zealand, Pakistan, Poland, Slovenia, Thailand, and Tunisia in the 2023 World Group II.

Since Hong Kong first competed in the Davis Cup in 1970, only five players have managed to win three live rubbers in a tie – Kelvin Inge in Singapore in 1985, Michael Walker in Pakistan in 1992, Melvin Tong in Saudi Arabia in 1997, Martin Sayer in Sri Lanka in 2010, and now 18-year-old Coleman Wong in 2023.

Results
Davis Cup by Rakuten 2023
World Group II Play-offs First Round
Puerto Cabello, Venezuela
February 3-5

Hong Kong, China defeated Venezuela 3 – 1

R1 Coleman Wong (HKG) d. Rafael Abdul Salam (VEN) 6-2 6-3
R2 Ricardo Rodriguez (VEN) d. Jack Wong (HKG) 6-3 3-6 6-3
R3 Coleman Wong/Jack Wong (HKG) d. Ricardo Rodriguez/Brandon Perez (VEN) 6-1 7-6(3)
R4 Coleman Wong (HKG) d. Ricardo Rodriguez (VEN) 2-6 6-1 6-3  
R5 Rafael Abdul Salam (VEN) v. Jack Wong (HKG) Not Played

Team Nominations