Chance for Hong Kong juniors to shine

Venise Chan Wing-yau will need to be on top of her game if Hong Kong are to have any chance in the ITF Junior Federation Cup which will be held in Thailand next month.

The Hong Kong Tennis Association (HKTA) will send Venise, 14, Anthea Lok, 15, and Geraldine Leong, 12, to Bangkok for the May 3 to 8 team event, one of the most prestigious competitions in the region. Hong Kong, who performed poorly last year, aim to finish in the top half of the 15-team tournament.

To do that, the SAR will need a flawless performance from Venise, their best player. 'Venise is the team's anchor,' HKTA head coach Benny Lin said. 'It's like Michael Jordan when he used to play for the Chicago Bulls. Without him, they were a different team.

'Venise is one of the best players in the 16 and under category. I'd say she's in the top 15 if not the top 10. The key would be for Venise to win the singles.'

Despite the pressure on her to perform, Venise - who won the 2004 AIA National Championships earlier this month - remains unfazed.

'I've participated in a lot of international events,' she said. 'I'm not nervous.'

She will be Hong Kong's No 1 singles player, and is likely to join Anthea in the doubles.

'Their communication is OK,' Lin said. 'They know each other's game. They've played with each other for a long time.'

In the past few weeks, the team had concentrated more on tactics and mental toughness rather than physical finess, Lin said. That, in turn, had left the team in a positive frame of mind. 'Right now they're all fine,' said

Stan Tamura, who will captain the team. 'They're in good shape, which is important because Thailand is hotter than Hong Kong.'

For Lin, all these signs point to a successful tournament. 'We're a very dynamic team,' he said. 'With Venise coming along and Anthea having been there before and with new blood in the form of Geraldine entering the fray, I think this will be a very good year.'