Hong Kong’s rising tennis star Coleman Wong advanced to the Delray Beach Open quarterfinals Thursday by defeating world No. 29 Brandon Nakashima in straight sets, securing his second ATP 250 quarterfinal in just over a month and a new career-high ranking of 124.
The 21-year-old battled for 1 hour and 28 minutes, unleashing 13 aces—two more than his opponent—and delivering an impressive straight-sets victory, 6-4, 7-6 (4), in the round of 16.
Advancing to the last eight, Wong is set to face world No. 20 Flavio Cobolli of Italy for a spot in the semifinals.
Speaking after the match, Wong expressed excitement at making the quarterfinals while playing in the United States for the first time—which he described as his "second home."
He credited his new coach for helping him elevate his game and make another breakthrough in the States.
Reflecting on his victory over Nakashima, whom he had lost to previously, Wong admitted the win carried extra significance.
"I'm really happy. He's a tough opponent, and I lost to him last time, so I really wanted to win this one,” he said.
In a heartfelt message to fans back in Hong Kong, Wong switched to Cantonese to express his gratitude and rally support for those staying up late to watch his game.
"I want to tell you all that we can do it—Hong Kong is able to produce world-class tennis players—and I will continue to prove it," he said.
Looking ahead to his match against third-seeded Flavio Cobolli, Wong expressed his eagerness to compete against another strong player, asking fans to continue their support and wishing him luck.
