Hong Kong Players Receive Wildcards into the Salem Open Qualifying Singles
Hong Kong’s rising stars Yu Hiu Tung and Hui Cheuk Wai have been awarded wildcards into the Salem Open qualifying singles.
The tough qualifying singles into the Salem Open, Hong Kong’s only ATP tournament, will be played on the weekend of 21 and 22 September.
“Both Yu Hiu Tung and Hui Cheuk Wai are products of our successful development programmes which nurture talented players to compete at International tournaments,” said Kenneth Tsui, President of the Hong Kong Tennis Association.
“The opportunity for our players to compete against the world’s best players provides an invaluable experience in raising the standard of tennis in Hong Kong,” he added.
The qualifying singles is extremely competitive because the players fight for only four available places in the main draw where they can earn valuable points against the star players that include Safin, Moya, Ferrero and American stars Blake, Gambill and Dent. The competitive weekend of tennis is expected to draw players from over ten countries.
The qualifying singles at last year’s Salem Open included Thailand’s number 1 Paradorn Srichaphan who went on to qualify into the main draw providing a platform for his breakthrough into the Top-30 in this year’s Champion Race.
“The Salem Open has always recognized the ambitions of Hong Kong’s tennis professionals and by awarding wild cards to aspiring local players, tennis in Hong Kong has the opportunity to grow and prosper,” said a tournament spokesperson. “We are proud to give talented players in Hong Kong an opportunity to play against the World’s best players on the ATP circuit”.
In another development, Marat Safin has asked for a wildcard into the doubles main draw. “Because Safin plays mainly singles, he does not have a doubles ranking but we will seriously consider his request for a wildcard,” said a tournament spokesperson.
Is Enqvist playing?
