Wong Claims Historic First Win on Hong Kong Soil
In a humid Victoria Park night, Coleman Wong shattered local records with a gritty victory, easing the pressure of past defeats while others like Shang Juncheng signal comebacks at the Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open.
On the buzzing hard courts of Victoria Park, Coleman Wong stepped up as the unlikely hero for a city starved for success. The 21-year-old wild card, fresh off a third-round run at the US Open in August, faced Mariano Navone with the weight of two prior losses at this ATP 250 event pressing down. He turned it around with a 6-3, 7-5 dispatch, becoming the first man representing Hong Kong in tournament history to win a match at the Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open—a moment that rippled through the cheering stands like a perfectly timed ace.
Local resolve sharpens in key rallies
Wong’s heavy topspin forehands dominated early, forcing Navone into stretched crosscourt defenses that drained his energy. In the second set, he saved break points with down-the-line passes, his serve slicing wide to disrupt any comeback rhythm. This tactical edge, built from months of challengers grinding, set him up for Gabriel Diallo in the next round, after the Canadian outlasted Jesper De Jong 6-4, 7-6(7) in a tense tiebreak.
The crowd’s energy fueled his focus, each point a step away from those earlier heartbreaks. Wong varied his one–two patterns, mixing inside-in winners with patient baseline exchanges to keep Navone guessing on the skidding surface. As the final game closed, relief mixed with determination, his eyes already on building momentum through the draw.
Shang rebuilds amid ranking shadows
Shang Juncheng emerged from an injury-riddled 2025 with quiet authority, moving past Francisco Comesana 6-4, 6-4 to push his hard-court record at this event to 7-2,according to the ATP Win/Loss Index. The 20-year-old Chinese wild card, down to No. 406 from a career-high No. 47 in the PIF ATP Rankings, hadn’t played since October in Shanghai, yet his deep looping topspin controlled the tempo from the baseline. Facing Lorenzo Sonego next, as a two-time semifinalist here, he aims to turn this surface’s bounce into a launchpad for recovery.
Shang’s footwork felt crisp, turning defense into pressure with underspin backhands that hugged the lines. The match tested his endurance through deuce holds, but he held firm, the applause building as he reclaimed some lost ground. This win whispers of a resurgence, especially with the Australian swing looming.
Defenders and seeds push forward
Defending champion Alexandre Muller kept his Hong Kong streak alive, edging Miomir Kecmanovic 7-5, 6-4 by blending serve-volley rushes with crosscourt angles that exploited the fast courts. The Frenchman, who claimed his maiden ATP Tour title here in 2025, now meets Marcos Giron, fresh off a 6-2, 6-0 rout of Laslo Djere. Muller’s adaptability shines in these conditions, where net poaches disrupt any grinding baseline play.
Fifth seed Lorenzo Sonego powered through #NextGenATP’s Rei Sakamoto 6-2, 7-6(4), his aggressive serves dominating the tiebreak. Tomas Martin Etcheverry outlasted Valentin Royer 6-4, 7-5, lining up a clash with top seed Lorenzo Musetti, the No. 7 in the PIF ATP Rankings, where heavy groundstrokes will meet versatile one-handed flair. Botic van de Zandschulp rallied past Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 1-6, 6-1, leveling their head-to-head at 2-2 and earning a shot at second seed Alexander Bublik, his inside-out forehands decisive in the decider.
These hard-court battles carry the hum of early-year ambition, players shaking off holiday rust to chase points in Hong Kong’s pressure cooker. As the draw advances, tactical tweaks and mental grit will decide who rises, promising deeper runs and unexpected twists in the ATP 250’s unfolding story.
