Cheng & Leung Lead Home Success On Hong Kong Football Club Open Day One

21 November 2023

Day one of the Hong Kong Football Club Open was one to remember from a home perspective, with five Hong Kong players advancing to the second round of the PSA World Tour Bronze-level event.

World No.70 Cheng Nga Ching Sara delivered the performance of the day in her first-ever Bronze main-draw match, coming from a game down to defeat Germany’s Saskia Beinhard.

Despite losing the opener 11-6, the 2021 Hong Kong Football Club Open champion started to assert her dominance in the middle of the court as the match progressed, successfully closing out the following three games 11-7, 11-9, 11-9, walking off court after 45 minutes of action.

After the match, she said: “This is the first time that I have got into the main draw of a bronze event, and especially because it is in Hong Kong, I am extremely excited as many fans come to support us and I really appreciate it.

“In the first game, I hit too many of the balls short and she therefore had many chances from mid-court to hit attacking shots.

“In the second game, I managed to play more into the back and I was trying to control her speed. I was very happy that I could play several good shots.”

Cheng Nga Ching Sara will face No.2 seed Sarah-Jane Perry for a spot in the last eight.

Elsewhere in the women’s draw, there were wins for Hong Kong compatriots Ka Yi Lee and Tsz-Wing Tong, who both came through four-game matches against Nardine Garas and Menna Hamed, respectively.

Tsz-Wing Tong (near) during her match against Egypt’s Menna Hamed (far).

Egypt’s Zeina Mickawy needed just 30 minutes to progress past Hong Kong wildcard Ching Hei Fung, winning 11-8, 11-6, 13-11 to set up a second-round clash against America’s Sabrina Sobhy.

After the match, the World No.40 said: “I’m really happy that I finished it in three. I knew that she was going to throw everything at me, playing in her home country, and she is up-and-coming, I am sure. I just focussed on starting really well, and I really didn’t want it to go into the fourth at the end. She came back in the third and she was playing really well and I tried to hold my game.

On her second-round clash against World No.15 Sobhy, she said: “I know Sabrina is in good shape, but I’ve been training well too, so I’ll go for it and hopefully it will be a good match.”

The final women’s winners on day one were Malaysian trio Aira Azman, Ainaa Amani and Rachel Arnold, as well as Australia’s Jessica Turnbull.

In the men’s draw, Hong Kong’s Henry Leung came through an intense five-game battle against compatriot Wong Chi Him, eventually claiming the tie 11-6, 5-11, 11-6, 6-11, 11-5 in 53 minutes. Despite being pegged back twice, Leung kept his composure to book himself a date against Frenchman Auguste Dussourd in the second round.

After the match, the World No.46 said: “I’m so happy to get through the first round and I would like to thank my compatriot Wong Chi Him because we had a really good game.

“It’s always a very hard situation playing against a teammate. We know each other very well, we practice almost every day together, so I’m very happy to get through.

On his second-round clash against Dussourd, he added: “I lost to him in Paris this year 3-2, so I hope to get some revenge and I’m looking forward to it.”

America’s Shahjahan Khan also emerged victorious from a brutal 61-minute clash against England’s Tom Walsh, coming away victor in four close-fought games. Khan, who hasn’t taken to the court in a PSA event since the U.S. Open, was right up against it from the off, losing out a marathon 18-minute first game 13-11.

Shahjahan Khan (right) in action against Tom Walsh (left).

However, from there, the World No.48 moved from strength to strength, starting to assert his physicality on the match and taking the subsequent three games 11-9, 12-10, 11-4.

“I feel great coming back”, he said after the match. “My last match was the U.S. Open because I was focussing on the Pan American Games.

“Tom Walsh is a good player, he tested me good today. I was on the ropes at times, but I carried myself through focus and I think that was the key factor that I came back.

“I kept telling myself to keep on fighting, to hang on in there, because there was nothing to be afraid of and I have done my hard work.”

Elsewhere in the men’s draw, Egypt’s Ibrahim Elkabbani scored his 50th win on tour with a 27-minute victory over Tang Ming Hong, with compatriots Yassin Elshafei and XXXXXX also progressing to the second round without any alarms.

After a fine performance in defeat against Paul Coll at the Singapore Open last week, Argentina’s Leandro Romiglio continued this form to ease past Muhammad Asim Khan in straight games, while Faraz Khan got the better of Yannik Omlor in four.

Tomorrow’s action at the Hong Kong Football Club begins at 13:00 (GMT+8), with all of the action will be shown live on SQUASHTV. For more information on the event, follow the PSA on X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

Results: Hong Kong Football Club Open 2023 – Men’s RD1

Ibrahim Elkabbani (EGY) bt Tang Ming Hong (HKG) 3-0 11-2, 11-9, 11-7 (27m)

Yassin Elshafei (EGY) bt Todd Harrity (USA) 3-1: 10-12, 11-2, 11-7, 11-9 (45m)

Faraz Khan (USA) bt Yannik Omlor (GER) 3-1: 11-7, 11-4, 3-11, 11-8 (44m)

Henry Leung (HKG) bt Wong Chi Him (HKG) 3-2: 11-6, 5-11, 11-6, 6-11, 11-5 (53m)

Shahjahan Khan (USA) bt Tom Walsh (ENG) 3-1: 11-13, 11-9, 12-10, 11-4 (61m)

Tsz Kwan Lau (HKG) bt [WC] Edmon Lopez (ESP) 3-1: 11-5, 11-4, 8-11, 11-5 (42m)

Leandro Romiglio (ARG) bt Muhammad Asim Khan (PAK) 3-0: 11-6, 11-9, 11-3 (41m)

Seif El-Shenawy (EGY) bt Addeen Idrakie (MAS) 3-1: 15-13, 9-11, 11-6, 11-6 (46m)

Results: Hong Kong Football Club Open 2023 – Women’s RD1

Zeina Mickawy (EGY) bt Ching Hei Fung (HKG) 3-0: 11-8, 11-6, 13-11 (30m)

Cheng Nga Ching Sara (HKG) bt Saskia Beinhard (GER) 3-1: 6-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-9 (45m)