US Open: Coleman Wong becomes first Hong Kong player to reach third round of a Slam
Coleman Wong defeated Australian Adam Walton 7-6 (5), 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 in the second round of the US Open on Thursday
Coleman Wong in action | © Zuma / Psnewz
Hong Kong’s Coleman Wong created history on Thursday by reaching the third round of the US Open. He beat Australian Adam Walton 7-6 (5), 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York and became the first tennis player from his qualify for the third round of a Grand Slam.
Wong made his main draw debut at the Majors in the US Open this year, having moved up through the qualifiers. He began his campaign with a straight-set win over Aleksander Kovacevic ().
Walton posed a tougher challenge for Wong as the two remained engaged for four sets spanning more than three hours. However, the world No 173 displayed commendable serving prowess as he hit 21aces and won 74 percent of his first-serve points.
He broke Walton’s serve seven times and registered 54 winners for the day to sail through.
“First everything for me”
Coleman Wong came into the match with a negative ATP head-to-head against Adam Walton, but now stands tied with the Aussie at 1-1. The 21-year-old was evidently delighted when he sat down for the post-match press conference.
“It’s something that I dreamed of,” he said. “At the moment, I’m still digesting. I still need to calm down but I’m really happy. Adam is a tough competitor, what a great battle. I lost to him a few months ago (Miami). For me, it was a very 50:50 match. I could win, I could lose. I came out on top today, so I’m really happy.
“I’m feeling good. This is my first main draw, first best-of-five, first everything for me, for Hong Kong, for my team. Everything is very new, so, no pressure.”
Wong plays big swinger Andrey Rublev in the next round. He has never faced the Russian before but is looking forward to the clash.
“I’m not sure who I’m playing next… Rublev, even better,” he continued. “That’s why I’m most enjoying, you know, playing these kind of players. Rublev is a huge player, he’s really good. So, I’m really excited to play him. Rublev, I mean, he kills the ball. He literally just destroys it but for me it’s… I just wanted to go out there, enjoy. I just made the third round of the US Open, I don’t think I need to think so much.”
Like Wong, Rublev also dropped a set in the second round against Tristan Boyer (6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (4)) after defeating Croat Dino Prizmic in straight sets (6-4, 6-4, 6-4) in the first.
