Hong Kong tennis player Coleman Wong Chak-lam continued his historic run at the US Open on Thursday night, defeating Australia's Adam Walton 3-1 to become the first athlete from the region to reach the tournament's third round in the Open Era.
The 20-year-old secured his place in the next round with a hard-fought victory that avenged his previous loss to Walton at March's Miami Open.
Wong claimed the first set through a tense 7-6(5) tiebreak after both players exchanged service breaks in the 10th to 12th games. He dominated the second set 6-2 with seven aces, including three in a single game.
Despite struggling with 16 unforced errors in the third set that allowed Walton to level temporarily, Wong regained control in the fourth set with crucial breaks at 3-3 to secure the match 6-4.
The victory follows Wong's first-round upset of world No. 71 Aleksandar Kovacevic, where he fired 22 aces in a straight-sets triumph. His continued advancement marks another milestone for Hong Kong tennis, guaranteeing at least a third-round appearance in his US Open main draw debut.
