In the men’s singles final, 18-year-old Dasson Chan took a 4-1 lead in the first set but No. 1 seed @Jack Wong managed to snag 11 of the next 12 games to runaway with a 6-4 6-1 victory to claim his fifth career title. Meanwhile, defending champion Maggie Ng broke qualifier Luk Kei Yuen at the tail-end of either set to cement a 6-4 6-3 win to become the first repeat ladies’ singles champion since Eudice Chong in 2021.

Chan drew first blood and broke Wong in the fourth game before producing a love hold to consolidate the service break to go up 4-1. The top seed then held for 4-2 before breaking Chan to take the score to 4-3. This turned out to be a crucial game, as the teenager was unable to convert on two break points that allowed Wong to draw even at 4-4 following five deuces. Chan then fought off a pair of break points before Wong broke through on his third attempt to lead 5-4. An authoritative service hold later, the defending champion was ahead by a set 6-4.

After Chan secured a brief 1-0 lead in the second, Wong engineered a six-game run to overcome Chan, as the No. 1 seed had an answer for everything the teenager threw at him, be it a drop shot, chip and charge or protracted baseline exchange. The 6-4 6-1 win was the third in a row for Wong, who equalled Hall of Famer Colin Grant’s three-peat from 1984-86.

“I would say this was a tough one both mentally and physically because I had to play two matches, semis and final, in one day due to the extended rain delays,” said Wong, who by now has triumphed in 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Chan, who was contesting his maiden final of a local major: “I felt a little drained after the semifinal. I think the turning point of the match was 4-3 in the first set. He served unbelievable on important points.”

Earlier in the semis, the top seed faced Ethan Leung, the same player who ousted him from the quarters of the CRC Open 2023 that thwarted Wong’s chance of a back-to-back Triple Crown. Leung lamented: “I knew I needed to up my game a bit if I were to beat Jack again, but he was just too good today. I couldn’t keep up with the pace and he rarely missed a ball.”

In the ladies’ singles final, top-seeded defending champion, Maggie Ng, was pitted against qualifier, Luk Kei Yuen, who had taken out No. 4 seed Ki Yan Tung 6-2 6-4 in the opening round, 2022 champion Sviatlana Pirazhenka 6-4 6-3 in the second round, and then No. 2 seed Jane Wong 6-4 6-1 in the semis. Ng took an early 3-1 lead with a break of serve, but a pair of ill-timed double faults the following game saw Luk break back for an 3-3 impasse. Then, serving to stay in the set trailing 5-4, Luk got broken by Ng to 15, as the No. 1 seed bagged the opener 6-4.

In the second set, Ng and Luk exchanged a pair of early breaks to bring proceedings to 3-3. After the defending champion held with ease to forge ahead 4-3, Luk committed a costly double fault at 30-40 to lose serve and trailed 5-3. On match point in the ensuing game, Ng threw belted a first serve down the tee, then ripped the short reply with a crosscourt forehand and forced her opponent to sky a defensive lob. The top seed duly put the smash away towards the opposite corner to seal a 6-4 6-3 victory.

Ng was a runner-up at the Hong Kong National Tennis Championships in 2012, 2014, and 2016 before she beat Venia Yeung to capture her first in 2018. She then finished runner-up to Lin Wing Ka in 2019 before producing back-to-back wins in 2023 and 2024.

In men’s doubles, top seed Jack Wong/Kevin Wong are into their seventh consecutive final where they are also facing Lee Hsin-Han/Steve Ng for the second year running. Wong/Wong defeated Lee/Ng in straight sets 6-2 6-4. Lee held a career-high ATP Ranking of No. 93 in doubles and has captured eight Challenger and twenty-four Futures doubles titles in his career. In ladies’ doubles, Ki Yan Tung/Nikita Tang beat Suki Law/Nicole Tsang 6-2 6-0 to lift the title.

Thus, Jack Wong, who partnered Maggie Ng to winning the mixed doubles title earlier, swept singles, doubles, and mixed for the second successive year. He has now amassed 15 singles titles in local majors – Hong Kong National Tennis Championships (2017, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024), SCAA Open (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023), and CRC Open (2015, 2016, 2021, 2022).

Back in 2017, the HKCTA announced an overall 40% increase in prize money for the ladies’ events at the Hong Kong National Tennis Championships, with the intention of achieving pay parity within the next 24 months. Equal prize money became a reality, as evidenced by the rise in prize money payout for the ladies’ singles champion from HK$28,000 in 2017 to matching the men’s singles winner’s cheque worth HK$42,000 in 2019.

Results
Bank of China Hong Kong National Tennis Championships
Victoria Park
March 4-May 1, 2024

Men’s Singles
(1)Jack Wong d. Dasson Chan 6-4 6-1

Ladies’ Singles
(1)Maggie Ng d. (q)Luk Kei Yuen 6-4 6-3

Men’s Doubles
(1)Jack Wong/Kevin Wong d. (2)Lee Hsin-Han/Steve Ng 6-2 6-4

Ladies’ Doubles
(3)Ki Yan Tung/Nikita Tang d. Suki Law/Nicole Tsang 6-2 6-0

Mixed Doubles
(1)Jack Wong/Maggie Ng d. (2)Karan Rastogi/Sviatlana Pirazhenka 6-2 6-3