Rafael Nadal ‘very proud’ of Coleman Wong after Hongkonger stuns Ben Shelton at Miami Open
Wild card Wong – who trains with the Spanish great occasionally – downs 13th-seeded American in three sets, says ‘this is for you, Hong Kong’
Coleman Wong Chak-lam takes on Adam Walton in the third round of the Miami Open on Monday, still basking in the glow of the biggest win of his career.
The Hongkonger, who is ranked 182nd in the world, stunned tennis with a three-set win over 13th seed Ben Shelton on Saturday, a result that drew praise from the great Rafael Nadal.
An emotional Wong, who is the first player from the city to win a match at an ATP Masters 1000 tournament, dedicated his triumph to his hometown, saying “this is for you Hong Kong”, after battling to a thrilling 7-6, 2-6, 7-6 victory on Court 1.
But the triumph did not come easy, with the 20-year-old wild card admitting to feeling “overwhelmed” when serving for the match at 5-3 up in the final set.
Shelton then saved two match points at 6-5 to force a tiebreak, but hooked a forehand wide at 5-5 and Wong kept his nerve to belt a first-serve winner past the American.
“I always trust myself to play in these big stages … I had a tough time [during] the Covid times,” Wong said. “I didn’t play for a year-and-a-half and I’m really lucky my team keeps supporting me. I’m really happy and this is for you, Hong Kong.”