![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.tennishk.org\/images\/2076c.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Nissin Hong Kong National Junior Tennis Championships 2018 concluded last Sunday with Stephen Wong winning the B18 title after an injured Tim Gauntlett retired while trailing, 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 4-1. Meanwhile, in a battle between the top seeds, Avril Look defeated Sheena Masuda Karrasch, 6-4, 7-5, to take home the G18 honours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The B18 singles final turned out to be a titanic tug of war between No. 1 seed Stephen Wong, who was a member of last year’s Junior Davis Cup team, and No. 3 Tim Gauntlett, who played the one spot on the 2017 World Junior Tennis squad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wong was a finalist in the B16s in 2017 and a runner-up in the B14s in 2015, but he had not lifted an age group singles title since the B12s in 2013. Gauntlett, on the other hand, is riding hot on a recent wave of success having captured the B14s in 2017 and bagging this year’s B16 trophy already.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first set, Gauntlett was quick off the blocks and produced two breaks to move ahead 3-0. Wong, however, had other ideas and engineered two consecutive service breaks to grab a 4-3 lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The third seed’s riposte was swift, as he broke Wong to get back on serve, 5-4. Servers then dominated the rest of the way to move proceedings on to a tiebreak. The tussle continued and after swapping two mini-breaks to take the score to 5-4 in favour of Gauntlett, the No. 3 seed conjured a pair of successive mini-breaks to wrap up the set, 7-6(4).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amazingly, set two unfolded in the exact manner as the first. Gauntlett began with a 3-0 advantage only to see Wong bounce back to lead 4-3. The reigning 16U champion broke again in the eighth game to get back on serve until the inevitable tiebreak presented itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On this occasion though, the top seed managed to stamp his authority in the early going and bolted to a 5-0 lead before securing this breaker in the end, 7-6(3).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the third, the players exchanged breaks to take the score to 1-1, but after Wong propelled himself to a double break 4-1 lead, Gauntlett was forced to retire with leg cramps, as his movements appeared to be slowing down since the start of the set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.tennishk.org\/images\/2076d.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The G18 final was also a topsy-turvy affair that featured a plethora of breaks. After the top seed broke Sheena Masuda Karrasch for the third time to go up 5-2 in the opening set, the No. 2 seed returned the favour to pull back to 5-4. Avril Look then saved two break points in a row before she held serve to close it out, 6-4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The two players then exchanged a pair of breaks to begin the second before Look broke twice to go up 4-1. However, Masuda Karrasch again responded in kind and grabbed the next four games to establish a seemingly momentous 5-4 lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.tennishk.org\/images\/2076e.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The No. 1 seed finally halted the runaway rut by holding to love to force a 5-5 stalemate. In the pivotal eleventh game, Masuda Karrasch’s serve was under siege and after warding off three break points, Look finally broke through to reach 6-5. The top seed capitalized on her opportunity this time round and held at 30 to secure a 6-4, 7-5, victory in two hours of play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Avril Look was a runner-up finish to Venia Yeung in this age group last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Earlier in the week, Gauntlett swept the B16s by beating Coleman Wong, 6-2, 6-4, in the singles and teamed up with Chan Man San to defeat top seed Lam Chun and Kyle Tang, 6-7(7), 6-3, [15-13], for the doubles title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sheena Masuda Karrasch also took both singles and doubles in the G16s. She saw off Lin Wing Ka, 6-4, 6-3, to lift the singles crown and then the pair collaborated to beat Fung Tak Yu and Kaye Au-Yeung, 6-3, 6-0, for the doubles title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Top seeds ruled the under-14 age group, with Ethan Leung defeating No. 6 Malhar Rajpal in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, in the boys’ singles final and Candy Wai winning the girls’ equivalent with a 6-2, 6-3, decision over No. 4 Shek Cheuk Ying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the B12 singles final, second seed Eren Cheung managed to jump out to a 4-0 lead against No. 1 Lau Hong Kiu before finishing with another service break to take the opener, 6-1. Games then went with serve in the ensuing set until the eighth game when Cheung broke gain to lead 5-3. Lau then fought back to take eight of the next nine points to force a 5-5 stalemate. However, Cheung’s swift response saw him produce a match-clinching break in the twelfth game to register a 6-1, 7-5, victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Number one seed Ophelia Tang, who represented Hong Kong in last year’s ITF Asian 12 & Under Team Competition at the East Asia Regional Qualifying in Shenzhen, saw off No. 2 Yeung Tsz Lam in straight sets to capture the G12 singles title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the B10 singles final, fourth seed Tam Sin Hang defeated No. 3 Andreas Foong, 4-2, 4-1, to take home the title, while the G10 crown went to top-seeded Rosalyn Chan, who recovered from a set down to beat No. 3 Wilva Chan, 0-4, 4-1, 4-1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.tennishk.org\/images\/2076a.jpg\")
Results
Nissin Hong Kong National Junior Tennis Championships
Victoria Park Tennis Stadium, Causeway Bay
Jan 25-Feb 25, 2018
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
B18S
(1)Stephen Wong d. (3)Tim Gauntlett 6-7(4) 7-6(3) 4-1 Retired
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
B18D
(1)Issac Chan\/Arthur Chau d. (2)Jason Chan\/Stephen Wong 6-2 6-3
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
B16S
(1)Tim Gauntlett d. (8)Coleman Wong 6-2 6-4
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
B16D
(2)Tim Gauntlett\/Chan Man San d. (1)Lam Chun\/Kyle Tang 6-7(7) 6-3 [15-13]
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
B14S
(1)Ethan Leung d. (6)Malhar Rajpal 6-2 6-4
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
B14D
(2)Max Kwok\/Chan Tsz Him d. (1)Ethan Leung\/Maxwell Heward 6-7(3) 6-3 [10-7]
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
B12S
(2)Eren Cheung d. (1)Lau Hong Kiu 6-1 7-5
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
B12D
(2)Eren Cheung\/Lucas Mock d. (1)Lau Hong Kiu\/Oscar Leung 4-6 7-6(4) [11-9]
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
B10S
(4)Tam Sin Hang d. (3)Andreas Foong 4-2 4-1
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
G18S
(1)Avril Look d. (2)Sheena Masuda Karrasch 6-4 7-5
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
G18D
Avril Look\/Jacqueline Lam d. (2)Alicia Yue\/Justine Leong 2-6 7-6(7) [10-4]
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
G16S
(4)Sheena Masuda Karrasch d. (3)Lin Wing Ka 6-4 6-3
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
G16D
(2)Sheena Masuda Karrasch\/Lin Wing Ka d. Fung Tak Yu\/Kaye Au-Yeung 6-3 6-0
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
G14S
(1)Candy Wai d. (4)Shek Cheuk Ying 6-2 6-3
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
G14D
(1)Chloris Li\/Shek Cheuk Ying d. (2)Candy Wai\/Noelle Vanasse Wilbert 4-6 6-0 [10-8]
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
G12S
(1)Ophelia Tang d. (2)Yeung Tsz Lam 6-0 6-0
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
G12D
(4)Sydney Stark\/Yeung Tsz Lam d. Rosalyn Chan\/Fung Tak Sum 6-0 6-4
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
G10S
(1)Rosalyn Chan d. (3)Wilva Chan 0-4 4-1 4-1<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-8803","news-detail","type-news-detail","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n