Davis Cup: Hong Kong and Uzbekistan all square after opening singles matches
Coleman Wong cruises past Sergey Fomin in first encounter of World Group II clash, while Khumoyun Sultanov downs Wong Tsz-fu
Coleman Wong got Hong Kong off to a flying start against Uzbekistan before Khumoyun Sultanov came roaring back, leaving the Davis Cup tie evenly poised heading into Sunday’s final round of matches.
Wong cruised past Sergey Fomin in straight sets to put his side 1-0 up, before Sultanov did the same against Wong Tsz-fu at Victoria Park Tennis Stadium.
Early breaks and a typically strong serve kept Wong in control in the opening contest, where the only real opponent was the baking heat on centre court.
No 148th in the world, Wong was always expected to beat a player nearly 350 spots below him in the singles rankings, and he wrapped up the 6-3, 6-2 victory in just under 90 minutes.
In recent weeks, Wong has been the one on the wrong end of the rankings comparison, but he said he had “liked going out first” and setting the tone for the day.
“Actually, it [winning] is not really an expectation for me,” he said. “I just want to play, and I just want to enjoy the crowd and enjoy playing at home. So for me, there’s not really a huge pressure.”