Top seed Jack Wong had to save a number of break points midway through the opening set before he came through unscathed to defeat teenager Ethan Leung in straight sets, 7-5, 6-2, to claim this year’s men’s singles title.  Meanwhile, in the ladies’ singles final, No. 1 seed Maggie Ng broke serve seven times in all to beat reigning Prudential Hong Kong National Tennis Championships winner, Sviatlana Pirazhenka, 6-3, 6-4.

In the men’s final on Sunday, Wong was immediately under the gun and was forced to save a pair of break points just to hold serve in the opening game.  Leung then broke the No. 1 seed to go up 2-1 but Wong’s response was swift, as he produced a love break of his own to stay even at 2-2.  Then, at 3-3, after Wong squandered a 40-15 lead, he was again on the brink of losing serve but managed to tough out three break points for the hold.  However, still on serve at 5-5, Wong managed to win the next eight points in a row and broke Leung to love in the process to strong-arm the set, 7-5.

In the second set, servers dominated proceedings until the fourth game when Leung was the first to yield his serve after he was unable to convert three game point opportunities.  To his credit, the 18-year-old broke back at once to peg the score back to 3-2, as he took advantage of a loose game from his opponent where Wong coughed up a pair of costly double faults.  However, the No. 6 seed threw down an ill-timed double fault to lose serve in the ensuing game to trail 4-2 and Wong bore down to break again in the eighth game to take the set and the match, 6-2, with his trademark counter-attack play.

“I just tried to stick to my game plan, staying consistent and making sure I keep a good depth.  Still, that first set was only separated by a late break in the end,” said Wong.  “Also, I want to thank Dr. Ho, the tournament organiser, and all the sponsors for another wonderful SCAA Open.  I’m really happy that I won.”

“My backhand was okay but struggled with serves and wasn’t hitting my forehands too cleanly today, and he was able to control the rallies most of the time,” lamented Leung, who had recently started life as a university student in September.

The last time these two met was in the second round of the CRC Open 2021 when Wong prevailed in a close three-setter, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4.  With this being his fifth career SCAA Open title, Wong is now the all-time leader, moving ahead of Colin Grant (1984, 1988, 1992, 1993) and Phillip King (2011-2014), who had four wins each.  After picking up the Prudential Hong Kong National Tennis Championships earlier in July, Wong now heads to the CRC Open with the first two local majors of the year in tow and making himself a live chance for the Triple Crown.

Having conceded her first couple of service games in the ladies’ singles final to trail 2-1, No. 1 seed Maggie Ng then strung together a four-game run to jump out to a commanding 5-2 lead before serving it out 6-3 to take a one-set lead.  At the start of the second, Sviatlana Pirazhenka saved a break point, then saw three game point opportunities fall by the wayside before she finally held for 1-0.  Ng then let slip a 40-15 advantage to lose serve to fall behind 2-0.  However, she managed to wrestle the next three games in a row to sneak in front briefly 3-2 before Pirazhenka broke back to tie matters up, 3-3.  Ng delivered by breaking her opponent for the third time in this set and then consolidated for a monumental 5-3 lead.  Although Pirazhenka held her next service game to stay in the match, that was not nearly enough to stop the No. 1 seed from closing it out with another big hold in the end.

Game, set, and match Ng, 6-3, 6-4, and this marked her eighth career ladies’ singles title here at King’s Park following her seven straight from 2012-2018, the most by any player in the tournament’s history.

In the men’s doubles, top-seeded Lee Hsin-Han and Steve Ng used two runs of three games each to dominate the first set, 6-2, against Adrian Yao and Sunny Yue.  In the second, Lee and Ng broke Yau for the third time to take an early 3-1 lead and then yielded just one point in their next three service games seal a 6-2, 6-4 victory.

In the ladies’ doubles, 2020 champion Vivian Lin and Nikita Tang defeated second seed Nicole Tsang and Yu Wing Sze, 6-4, 6-1, to capture their second title together as a tandem.  “It was nice winning the doubles title again with Nikita. We did well and looking forward to achieving more in the upcoming tournaments.  We’ve played with each other several times already, so we’ve gotten to build trust throughout the years and complement each other nicely during the game,” said Lin.

In the mixed doubles final, No. 1 seed Jack Wong and Maggie Ng carved themselves a 5-2 and a 4-0 lead in either set before settling for a 6-4, 6-1, victory over Joshua Kim and Chloris Li.

Results
SCAA/BOCOM Open Championships 2022
King’s Park, Kowloon
August 13-October 23

Men’s Singles
(1)Jack Wong d. (6)Ethan Leung 7-5 6-2

Ladies’ Singles
(1)Maggie Ng d. Sviatlana Pirazhenka 6-3 6-4

Men’s Doubles
(1)Lee Hsin-Han/Steve Ng d. (2)Adrian Yao/Sunny Yue 6-2 6-4

Ladies’ Doubles
(1)Vivian Lin/Nikita Tang d. (2)Nicole Tsang/Yu Wing Sze 6-4 6-1

Mixed Doubles
(1)Jack Wong/Maggie Ng d. Joshua Kim/Chloris Li 6-4 6-1

Boys’ Singles
(7)Henry Lau d. Ng Ka Long 6-4 2-6 6-4

Girls’ Singles
Vienna Lai d. (4)Rosalyn Chan  Walkover

Boys’ Doubles
(4)Ryan Chan/Felix Lam d. (2)Walter Tam/Nicholas Cheng  Walkover

Girls’ Doubles
(2)Lam Yuen Tung/Athena Yeung d. (1)Rosalyn Chan/Vienna Lai 0-1  Retired

Chairman Cup
Men’s Singles
(11)Henry Lau d. Yip Yin Wang 6-2 6-4

Ladies’ Singles
(3)Hebe Leung d. Cameron Yeung 7-5 6-4

Men’s Doubles
(6)Lionel Ng/Devansh Punjabi d. (16)Shepherd Cheung/Philip Mok 7-5 6-2

Ladies’ Doubles
(6)Rachel Kan/Lu Yi Lam d. (5)Fung Ka Hei/Janet Lee 6-2 6-4

Photo: SCAA Open