Hong Kong's Coleman Wong Chak-lam created tennis history on Monday by becoming the first player from the region to reach the second round of a Grand Slam tournament in the Open Era, defeating American Aleksandar Kovacevic in straight sets at the US Open.
The world No. 174, who entered the main draw through qualifying rounds, secured a 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(4) victory against the 71st-ranked American at Flushing Meadows, New York. Wong maintained consistent pressure throughout the match, capitalizing on Kovacevic's 18 unforced errors in the opening set to establish early control.
After claiming the first set, Wong built a 4-1 lead in the second before Kovacevic leveled at 5-5. The Hongkonger held serve and broke back to take the set 7-5. The third set progressed to a tiebreak where Wong secured victory with a 7-4 scoreline.
Wong had previously defeated higher-ranked opponents including Chris Rodesch, Matteo Gigante, and Billy Harris in qualifying to become the first Hong Kong player to reach a Grand Slam main draw. His second-round opponent will be determined following completion of other first-round matches.
