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Paul McNamara

A “pumped and motivated” Coleman Wong Chak-lam has been told he “does not have to be scared” of any of his rivals for National Games honours.
Hong Kong favourite Wong will begin his medal quest against Shanxi’s unheralded 20-year-old Duan Hao on Friday.
Wednesday’s draw in Zhuhai was dealt a blow before it even started with Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen withdrawing from the women’s singles because she had failed to fully recover from the elbow injury that has blighted the second half of her season.
Wong, who could potentially meet 2018 Asian Games silver medallist Wu Yubing in the last four, has been in sound form. He reached a Challenger Series final in Seoul last month, before advancing to the semi-finals of this month’s Taipei Challenger event.
James Allemby, Wong’s coach, said his charge was “not too toast” at the end of a long season.

“He really enjoyed Seoul and he likes tournaments in Asia because he gets to go home,” Allemby said. “If he’s spent a long time away, he’ll become more mentally tired, but he’s had a couple of days back home before the Games.
“He’s pumped and motivated, it’s not an event that happens very often.”
Allemby acknowledged that Wong would have liked to have been playing in a Challenger tournament this week, but said the 21-year-old “knows it’s an obligation” to compete in the Games.
“He understands it’s important for Hong Kong and he loves representing Hong Kong,” Allemby said. “He’ll be there with familiar faces, he likes weeks when there’s more togetherness and you’re playing for something bigger [than just yourself]. I think he’ll enjoy it and do pretty well.”
Allemby will have to track Wong from afar after his mainland China visa expired, but the British-Canadian coach said he would “always be in touch spitballing ideas”.
“It’s very rare I’m not with him … but I watch everything,” Allemby said. “He could win the tournament or medal. There are some very good players in the draw, so it could depend when he runs into one of the big dogs. But Coleman can take anyone down.”
Wong’s life has been made slightly easier after No 1 seed and world No 121 Bu Yunchaokete, who the Hongkonger beat in Seoul, was placed on the opposite side of the draw, along with Jerry Shang Juncheng, the No 5 seed, and eighth seed Zhang Zhizhen.
After superstar Zheng pulled out of the Hengqin International Tennis Centre tournament, Wang Xinyu of Guangdong was elevated to women’s No 1 seed.
Zheng had been opening ceremony flag-bearer for her Hubei province, which said: “After arriving at the National Games competition, the medical team conducted the latest evaluation of Zheng’s injury and found that her right elbow joint has not fully recovered, making her unfit for high-intensity competition.”
Eudice Chong was paired with Wang Xiyu, the No 5 seed from Tianjin, in round one, while fellow Hongkonger Maggie Ng Man-ying must overcome Beijing’s No 6 seed Gao Xinyu to reach round two.
Allemby said Zheng’s absence was “a big loss because of the calibre of what she’s done”.
“It’s a shame to miss such a flagship player, but such is life,” he said. “But there are lots of really good players there in Jerry, Coleman, Triple Z [Zhang] and Bu.”
Additional reporting by Ada Li


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Sport

Tennis

Draw for men’s singles keeps Coleman Wong away from tennis tournament’s ‘big dogs’. Women’s event blown wide open after Zheng Qinwen withdraws


Draw for men’s singles keeps Coleman Wong away from tennis tournament’s ‘big dogs’. Women’s event blown wide open after Zheng Qinwen withdraws.


Coleman Wong has nothing to fear, can take down any of his National Games rivals, coach says

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Draw for men’s singles keeps Coleman Wong away from tennis tournament’s ‘big dogs’. Women’s event blown wide open after Zheng Qinwen withdraws

Draw for men’s singles keeps Coleman Wong away from tennis tournament’s ‘big dogs’. Women’s event blown wide open after Zheng Qinwen withdraws