Miami Open: Hong Kong’s Coleman Wong makes history, becomes first player from city to reach main draw
- Wong beats world No 97 Sumit Nagal in three-set thriller to qualify for main draw of ATP Masters 1000 tournament
- 19-year-old will take on world No 35 Laslo Djere from Croatia on Friday at Hard Rock Stadium
Coleman Wong Chak-lam made history on Wednesday by becoming the first Hong Kong player to make it to the opening round of an ATP Masters 1000 tournament, a result that also takes him into the top 200 in the world rankings.
The 19-year-old saw off India’s Sumit Nagal in a three-set thriller to come through Miami Open qualifying at Hard Rock Stadium, setting up a clash with world No 35 Serbia’s Laslo Djere in the first round on Friday.
Presently ranked a career-high 212th, Wong is projected to reach 188th in the world when the rankings update next Monday, although that would be higher if he beat Djere.
Michael Cheng Ming-git, president of the city’s tennis association, said Wong’s recent results, which included reaching two ATP Challenger finals last year were “unprecedented feats for a player from Hong Kong”.
It was, Cheng said, further proof that Wong could “compete at this level”.
“We congratulate Coleman on this accomplishment, which puts Hong Kong tennis on the global map,” Cheng added. “His success is a source of pride for our entire tennis community, and we hope that his achievements will inspire a new generation of Hong Kong tennis players to pursue their dreams.