Three-time Salem Open champion and Hong Kong favourite Michael Chang has been awarded a wild card to compete in next week's Salem Open at Victoria Park. Chang has won 34 ATP titles and is the youngest French Open and Grand Slam champion at 17 years and three months when he won at Roland Garros in 1989, but whose world ranking has now slipped to a lowly 103.
Also gaining a wild card to compete in the SAR's extravaganza from September 21-29 is former world number two Magnus Norman of Sweden, now ranked 120th in the world. Norman will be making his first appearance in Hong Kong and is making a comeback after hip surgery.
'One of the things I love to do most in life is to be out there competing against the best players in the world,' said Norman, the 2000 French Open finalist who is itching to climb to the top of the rankings again. 'All my fellow Swedish players have told me Hong Kong is such an exciting place and I can't wait to see the city myself.'