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Battle-weary Tong blown away by Chang's power

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Michael Chang's Salem Open campaign gathered momentum as he breezed through to the second round courtesy of a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Hong Kong hero Melvin Tong at Victoria Park yesterday.

Picking up where he left off when rain halted play on Tuesday night, with Chang leading 3-0, the world number three was on court for just 28 minutes in his triumph over the wild-card entrant.

Tong, who returned to the territory on Tuesday direct from Hong Kong's 4-1 Davis Cup victory over Saudi Arabia, was unable to cope with Chang's all-round strength.

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The 22-year-old Hong Kong number one, the smallest player in the tournament, realised the yawning gap between himself and Chang, winning just 12 points.

Top-seeded Chang still showered praise on the Hong Kong player, who stands only 1.67 metres tall.

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'He [Tong] played some pretty good tennis. It's not an easy thing to do coming from Saudi Arabia and playing today. He's got a good forehand and a good serve for his size. He'll continue to improve,' said Chang, who doesn't often play somebody smaller than his 1.75-metre frame.

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