Hong Kong tennis seeks inspiration from former top players as it builds for the future

Hong Kong tennis is looking back to go forward – appointing former Davis Cup player Mike Walker to guide talent at all levels and looking to benefit from the experience of ex-players Yu Hiu-tung and Yan Zi.

Walker was part of Hong Kong’s most successful Davis Cup team in the 1990s, when they made it to Group One of the Asia/Oceania Zone. Having returned to Hong Kong this year as director of player development after more than 20 years away, one of his first moves was to get the local pair on board as captains for the Davis and Fed Cup teams respectively.

Hong Kong are currently in Davis Cup Group Three and Fed Cup Group Two but Walker is confident both the men’s and women’s teams can win promotion this year.

“We’re working on that now with Yan Zi for Fed Cup and Yu for the Davis,” says the 49-year-old Briton, who came to Hong Kong to coach at the Jubilee Sports Centre (the forerunner to the Hong Kong Sports Institute) in 1988 and played Davis Cup from ’91 to ’94.

“Hopefully what both can do is pass on their knowledge – they’ve both played the game to a very high level and are tactically very good. With the talent and base we’ve got here we can get out and win Group Three and Group Two.

“It’s exciting to get them involved not just in Davis and Fed, but also spending time and working with our juniors as well.”