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Lars Hamer

Hong Kong Davis Cup captain Yu Hiu-tung said his side were not under “any pressure at all” and hoped to ride a wave of support against Uzbekistan when their World Group II tie gets under way at Victoria Park on Saturday.
His counterpart, Denis Istomin, said the Uzbek team were ready to fight after coming early to prepare for what he called tough conditions.
The winner of the tie, which will be played over two days in front of an expected sell-out crowd at the Causeway Bay venue, will secure their spot in the 2026 World Group I Play-offs.
Hong Kong have not competed in the second-highest level of the Davis Cup since 1991.
“Of course, we have an opportunity, because since Coleman [Wong Chak-lam] had good results in the US Open, there’s a lot of confidence,” Yu said. “All our players are pretty excited, so I don’t think they have any pressure at all. They love the crowd, and hopefully the crowd will help us behind our backs as well.”

At an average age of 21 years and two months, Yu has picked the fourth-youngest Hong Kong team in history, while Uzbekistan boast top-500 pair Khumoyun Sultanov and Sergey Fomin in their contingent.
On Saturday, Coleman Wong, ranked world No 148, will face Fomin in the first match, while Wong Tsz-fu will take on Sultanov.
Sunday’s double match will see Coleman Wong team up with Kevin Wong Chun-hun to face Sultanov and Fomin, before a reverse of Saturday’s matches.
Besides Sultanov, a 26-year-old who has been ranked as high as world No 215, and Fomin, the Uzbekistan team also includes Maksim Shin, Amir Milushev, Damir Abdusamadov and Abdulaziz Usmonjonov.
Davis Cup ties are played on a best-of-five-matches format, with two singles matches, a sole doubles match and the two reverse singles.
The winner of Hong Kong v Uzbekistan will go to February’s play-offs, while the losing nation will have to contend in the World Group II play-offs to avoid relegation.
“We know that the conditions will be very difficult,” Istomin said. “We’re not used to playing in these conditions a lot, so we came 12 days early for preparation.”

Istomin, who was previously ranked No 33 and won the 2017 Chengdu Open said his team had been selected based on those with experience, and from younger players who had previously played in Hong Kong and mainland China.
Unlike Yu, the 39-year-old, who once knocked Novak Djokovic out of the Australian Open in the second round, admitted there was pressure, but good players would find a way to turn it into performances, he said.
“For juniors or young players who have just come into the team, of course [the pressure] is really high, and I think, for them, it’s even better to play in the Davis Cup and to have experience with this pressure,” he said. “It can help them for the Futures and the other tournaments.”


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Davis Cup

Davis Cup: Hong Kong hope to ride wave of support, Uzbekistan prepared for tough tie

Yu Hiu-tung, Hong Kong Davis Cup captain, attends a press conference of Davis Cup at Victoria Park. Photo: Edmond So

Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin (left) and Hong Kong’s Yu Hiu-tung will lead their teams over two days at Victoria Park Tennis Courts. Photo: Edmond So

Hong Kong star Coleman Wong has raised the confidence level of the squad. Photo: Edmond So

Wong Tsz-fu is part of Hong Kong’s six-man squad for the tie. Photo: Edmond So

Coleman Wong seeks inspiration for Hong Kong from full house at Davis Cup tie

Coleman Wong will be playing for the first time since his exploits last month at the US Open, where he reached the third round. Photo: Edmond So

Hong Kong players (from second left) Kai Thompson, Nicholas Cheng, Coleman Wong, Wong Tsz-fu and Wong Chun-hun with team coaches at the Victoria Park Tennis Court on Monday. Photo: Edmond So

Kai Thompson said he would be inspired playing with Coleman Wong. Photo: Edmond So

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Zheng Qinwen in action during her first round women’s singles match against the Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova at Wimbledon. Photo: Reuters

A screengrab from physiotherapist Gabriel Echeva’s Instagram story shows Zheng Qinwen working out at the Dr Boffa Medical Sport Centre in Barcelona. Photo: Instagram/grabriel_echeva

Sport

Tennis

City skipper Yu Hiu-tung says his team will capitalise on Coleman Wong’s good form and try to qualify for World Group I


City skipper Yu Hiu-tung says his team will capitalise on Coleman Wong’s good form and try to qualify for World Group I.


Hong Kong Tennis Association (HKTA)

ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation)

Coleman Wong Chak-lam

Davis Cup: Hong Kong hope to ride wave of support, Uzbekistan prepared for tough tie

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}City skipper Yu Hiu-tung says his team will capitalise on Coleman Wong’s good form and try to qualify for World Group I

City skipper Yu Hiu-tung says his team will capitalise on Coleman Wong’s good form and try to qualify for World Group I