Top-seeded Jack Wong beat Brian Yeung in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2, to bag the SCAA/ORBIS BLOODSTOCK Open Tennis Championships men’s singles title, while the ladies’ crown went to No. 2 seed Ki Yan Tung, who saw off qualifier Vivian Lin, 6-2, 6-2.
With the victory, Wong (2015-17 & 2019) equalled the four career wins concocted by Phillip King (2011-14) and Colin Grant (1984, 1988, 1992-93), while moving past previous three-time winners Tau Luu (1974-76) and Michael Walker (1989-1991).
“Happy to come back to SCAA, and winning it for the fourth time, obviously. We both know each other’s game so well, our tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses. It’s just a matter of who can perform better on the day,” explains Wong.
“He made the better start the first couple of games, but I managed to draw even. After that, it was just a few points here and there that separated us. I just kept going and fought till the end, so I’m happy to win it again.”
Yeung, who won their last three encounters in local majors, broke the No. 1 seed in the second game for a quick-fire 2-0 lead. However, Wong managed to break back in the third after the No. 2 seed squandered a pair of game points to go up 3-0. Instead, Wong consolidated for an even-steven 2-2.
Then, at 3-3, Wong made the go-ahead break when Yeung double faulted to concede his serve. Yeung still had a shot at salvaging the set, but Wong saved a crucial break point in the tenth game to hold for 6-4.
In the ensuing set, Yeung did well to save two break points to hold for the opening game. However, Wong busted up proceedings by strong-arming the follow four games to catapult himself to a whopping 4-1 lead. Although he yielded his next service game tamely to allow Yeung to climb back to 4-2, Wong was on the move again and broke his opponent to 15 before he served it out 6-2 without much fanfare.
At 21 years of age, Wong is the youngest four-time winner of the SCAA Open by a wide margin. Together with his two CRC Opens (2015-16) and two HK National (2017-18) titles, his number of local majors in men’s singles now stands at eight.
In the ladies’ singles final, No. 2 seed Ki Yan Tung put a stranglehold on the opening set with a five-game run to establish a 5-1 lead. Qualifier Vivian Lin then failed to convert a game point, saved a set point, before finally converting on her fourth game point to hold for 5-2 to stay in the set. However, Ki, last year’s runner-up, delivered a love game to wrap up the opener 6-2.
In the second set, Ki began with a double break and moved out to a 4-0 lead. Although Lin recovered one of those breaks by breaking back to 4-2, the No. 2 seed swiftly returned the favour by grabbing the final two games for a 6-2, 6-2, victory.
Lin, a four-year letterwoman at Cal State Northridge and the 2010 Hong Kong National Junior Tennis Championships girls’ under-18 singles winner, reflected, “It was a pleasure to compete at the prestigious SCAA Open. What made this tournament so special for me was that I had to fight through qualifying to make the final, and it was all incredibly challenging after long years of studying abroad and having to overcome severe injuries. Nevertheless, I enjoyed every moment of the grind, especially in the final played in front of a large audience. I can’t wait to challenge myself more in the tournaments to come!”
Top seed Brian Yeung and Lee Hsin-Han’s, 6-1, 6-2, victory over Vincent Chau and Sunny Yue not only saw them defend their SCAA Open title, but also registering their fourth successive men’s doubles triumph in local majors.
In the Chairman Cup men’s singles, Dasson Chan came from a set down to beat his under-14 World Junior Tennis teammate, Max Kwok, 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-1, to lift the title.
Results
SCAA/ORBIS BLOODSTOCK Open Tennis Championships
King’s Park, Kowloon
Aug 1-Oct 27, 2019
Men’s Singles Final
(1)Jack Wong d. Brian Yeung 6-4 6-2
Ladies’ Singles Final
(2)Ki Yan Tung d. (q)Vivian Lin 6-2 6-2
Men’s Doubles Final
(1)Brian Yeung/Lee Hsin-Han d. Vincent Chau/Sunny Yue 6-1 6-2
Ladies’ Doubles Final
(1)Jacqueline Lam/Ki Yan Tung d. Nicole Tsang/Yu Wing Sze 6-1 7-5
Mixed Doubles Final
Lam Wing Lun/Lin Wing Ka d. (2)Aziz Khan/Ki Yan Tung 6-4 3-6 [13-11]
Boys’ Singles Final
(3)Fong Ching Kit d. Chan Tsz Him 6-3 5-7 5-4 Retired
Girls’ Singles Final
(1)Minnie Law d. Che Sin Yu 6-3 6-4
Boys’ Doubles Final
(2)Fong Ching Kit/Ng Kar Long d. Justin Lee/Li Siu Hin 6-3 6-3
Girls’ Doubles Final
Pinky Kwok/Minnie Law d. (2)Lai Ching Laam/Ananya Madduri 6-2 6-1