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Paul McNamara

Coleman Wong Chak-lam has been knocked out of the Delray Beach Open following a three-set quarter-final defeat by world No 20 Flavio Cobolli.
Aiming to reach his first ATP 250 tournament semi-final, Wong saved two match points before claiming a 16-point second-set tiebreak, but the Hongkonger twice dropped serve in the decider and ultimately went down 7-5, 6-7, 6-2 in two hours and 14 minutes.
Italian Cobolli will meet Sebastian Korda for a place in the final after the American upset No 2 seed Casper Ruud in three sets.
Wong will move on to an ATP 500 tournament next week in Mexico, where he will face home player Alex Hernandez, the world No 416, in the opening qualifying round.
After winning four matches in Florida, the 21-year-old eventually ran out of steam in a one-sided final set against Cobolli. Wong was broken in the first and seventh games, before Cobolli served out to love in the eighth.
A tight 44-minute opening set swung decisively in Cobolli’s favour in game 12. At 40-30 behind on Wong’s serve, he deftly lifted a backhand beyond his opponent at the net. At set point down, Wong fractionally overhit on his own backhand following a baseline exchange.

Cobolli released a triumphant scream, then claimed the opening three games of the second set as he aimed for a quick finish.
Summoning his increasingly familiar powers of recovery, Wong broke for the first time in the fifth game, then regained composure on his own serve. At 6-5 down, however, history threatened to repeat itself when Cobolli forced deuce.
Wong nervelessly won the next two points, then saved match points at 6-5 and 7-6 down in the tiebreak. It was his turn to fill the air with a jubilant roar when Cobolli struck a poor forehand into the net on Wong’s first set point at 8-7.
Wong could not sustain his momentum, however, and the end arrived when Cobolli came in behind his serve to clinically put away a forehand volley.
This was another encouraging performance from Wong, nonetheless, going toe-to-toe with a two-time tour winner following victories this week over Brandon Nakashima and Nuno Borges, the world Nos 29 and 45, respectively.
After beginning the event ranked No 138, Wong is up to No 124 in the “live ranking”, which is adjusted match-by-match ahead of the official update every Monday.
Should he stay in that position at the beginning of next week, it would represent an improvement on the career-high No 128 ranking he attained in September 2024.

In the last four, Cobolli will have to overcome an opponent in Korda, the world No 50, who won both of the pair’s previous meetings, including a 2024 ATP 500 final in Washington.
The other semi-final will be an all-American affair between Tommy Paul and Lerner Tien. Paul shocked No 1 seed Taylor Fritz in straight sets in his quarter-final, while Tien, who eliminated defending champion Miomir Kecmanovic in round two, got the better of another US player, Frances Tiafoe, in three sets.
Elsewhere, Carlos Alcaraz is one win away from claiming his 26th career title at the age of 22.
Competing in the Qatar Open, Spaniard Alcaraz beat Andrey Rublev 7-6, 6-4 in the semi-finals for his 11th straight victory since the start of the year.
Alcaraz, who completed the career grand slam when he won last month’s Australian Open, will meet Arthur Fils in Sunday’s final, after the Frenchman overcame Jakub Mensik, the quarter-final conqueror of world No 2 Jannik Sinner, 6-4, 7-6.


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Coleman Wong, here in action during his victory over Brandon Nakashima, is out of the Delray Beach Open following defeat by Flavio Cobolli. Photo: Getty Images

Coleman Wong is in line to reach a career-high world ranking next week. Photo: Getty Images

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Tennis

The 21-year-old lost in three sets in the quarter-final in the US, with his next tournament set to be an ATP 500 event in Mexico


The 21-year-old lost in three sets in the quarter-final in the US, with his next tournament set to be an ATP 500 event in Mexico.


Coleman Wong Chak-lam

Carlos Alcaraz

Flavio Cobolli

Hong Kong star Coleman Wong poised for career high despite narrow defeat at Delray Beach Open

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The 21-year-old lost in three sets in the quarter-final in the US, with his next tournament set to be an ATP 500 event in Mexico

The 21-year-old lost in three sets in the quarter-final in the US, with his next tournament set to be an ATP 500 event in Mexico