Tasmanian Open: Hong Kong’s Lau and Tong Victorious In Devonport

The Hong Kong duo of Tsz Kwan Lau and Tsz-Wing Tong took the titles at the Challenger 10 level City of Devonport Tasmanian Open this weekend, with both beating Malaysian opposition to win their respective finals.

The pair both came into the competition as the No.2 seeds, and Lau was also aiming for back-to-back titles, having won the Volkswagen Bega Open just seven days earlier. Thanks to his ranking, he received a bye through to the second round, where he then defeated compatriot Tang Ming Hong in straight games.

The Hongkonger then came up against another countryman, in No.8 seed Chi Him Wong, in the quarter finals of the competition, winning again in straight games, thanks to taking the momentum with a first game tie-break victory. He then lost the opening game of his semi-final against Japan’s Ryunosuke Tsukue, but fought back to win in four to make it through to a second final in as many weeks.

In the final, Lau came up against Malaysia’s Addeen Idrakie, the No.3 seed for the tournament, and he required just over half an hour to make it back-to-back titles in Australia, winning 11-4, 11-8, 11-2 to secure the win, and to claim his second victory in the month of September.

Like her fellow compatriot, Tsz-Wing Tong was also the No.2 seed at the City of Devonport Tasmanian Open, and after a bye through the opening day’s play, she took on Switzerland’s Celine Walser in the second round. She took the win in straight games, before then going on to defeat No.5 seed Aira Azman of Malaysia in three in the quarter finals, thanks to winning two tie-breaks.

In the last four, the Hongkonger got the better of Australia’s Jessica Turnbull, the No.7 seed for the competition, coming from behind after the home hope took the first game of their contest. A second game tie-break win saw the momentum turn in Tong’s favour, and she went on to win in four games.

The final saw Tong take on Malaysia’s No.3 seed Chan Yiwen, and she breezed through to the victory, winning in less than 30 minutes, 11-3, 11-3, 11-8 to secure her first title of the season, and make sure it was double delight for Hong Kong in Devonport.

Results: City of Devonport Tasmanian Open
Men’s Final
[2] Tsz Kwan Lau (HKG) bt [3] Addeen Idrakie (MAS) 3-0: 11-4, 11-8, 11-2 (31m)

Women’s Final
[2] Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG) bt [3] Chan Yiwen (MAS) 3-0: 11-3, 11-3, 11-8 (29m)

Men’s Semi-Finals
[3] Addeen Idrakie (MAS) bt Robin Gadola (SUI) 3-1: 7-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-9 (50m)
[2] Tsz Kwan Lau (HKG) bt Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) 3-1: 6-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-7 (41m)

Women’s Semi-Finals
[3] Chan Yiwen (MAS) bt [6] Alex Haydon (AUS) 3-1: 11-5, 11-4, 8-11, 11-5 (32m)
[2] Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG) bt [7] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) 3-1: 7-11, 13-11, 11-7, 11-3 (49m)

Men’s Quarter Finals
Robin Gadola (SUI) bt [7] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) 3-1: 8-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-9 (59m)
[3] Addeen Idrakie (MAS) bt Temwa Chileshe (NZL) 3-1: 5-11, 11-9, 11-3, 11-4 (54m)
Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) bt [5] Lwamba Chileshe (NZL) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-3 (26m)
[2] Tsz Kwan Lau (HKG) bt [8] Chi Him Wong (HKG) 3-0: 13-11, 11-4, 11-7 (45m)

Women’s Quarter Finals
[6] Alex Haydon (AUS) bt Ainaa Amani (MAS) 3-2: 7-11, 11-4, 11-2, 8-11, 11-8 (38m)
[3] Chan Yiwen (MAS) bt [8] Yee Xin Ying (MAS) 3-0: 11-7, 11-5, 11-5 (34m)
[7] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) bt Yasshmita Jadishkumar (MAS) 3-0: 11-9, 11-6, 11-7 (24m)
[2] Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG) bt [5] Aira Azman (MAS) 3-0: 17-15, 12-10, 11-5 (40m)

Men’s Second Round
Robin Gadola (SUI) bt [1] Muhammad Asim Khan (PAK) 3-0: 11-6, 11-9, 11-3 (34m)
[7] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) bt Harley Lam (HKG) 3-0: 11-8, 11-4, 11-6 (31m)
Temwa Chileshe (NZL) bt [6] Darren Rahul Pragasam (MAS) 3-2: 8-11, 5-11, 13-11, 11-1, 11-7 (64m)
[3] Addeen Idrakie (MAS) bt Robert Andrew Garcia (PHI) 3-0: 11-8, 11-9, 11-9 (37m)
Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) bt [4] Mohammad Syafiq Kamal (MAS) 3-0: 14-12, 11-5, 11-3 (35m)
[5] Lwamba Chileshe (NZL) bt [WC] Jack Hudson AUS) 3-1: 12-10, 12-10, 3-11, 12-10 (42m)
[8] Chi Him Wong (HKG) bt Manu Paquemar (FRA) 3-0: 11-3, 11-4, 11-6 (28m)
[2] Tsz Kwan Lau (HKG) bt Tang Ming Hong (HKG) 3-0: 11-8, 11-2, 12-10 (28m)

Women’s Second Round
Ainaa Amani (MAS) bt [1] Grace Gear (ENG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-3, 11-8 (26m)
[6] Alex Haydon (AUS) bt Urwashi Joshi (IND) 3-0: 11-8, 16-14, 11-9 (26m)
[8] Yee Xin Ying (MAS) bt Cheng Nga Ching (HKG) 3-2: 11-9, 6-11, 12-10, 6-11, 11-9 (42m)
[3] Chan Yiwen (MAS) bt Sehveetrraa Kumar (MAS) 3-0: 11-1, 11-9, 11-5 (21m)
Yasshmita Jadishkumar (MAS) bt [4] Sarah Cardwell (AUS) 3-2: 12-10, 11-8, 4-11, 5-11, 11-8 (40m)
[7] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) bt Rachael Grinham (AUS) 3-0: 11-6, 11-4, 11-5 (22m)
[5] Aira Azman (MAS) bt Ooi Kah Yan (MAS) 3-1: 11-5, 11-6, 9-11, 11-6 (26m)
[2] Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG) bt Celine Walser (SUI) 3-0: 11-9, 11-5, 11-6 (24m)

Men’s First Round
Robin Gadola (SUI) bt Chung Yat Long (HKG) 3-1: 11-5, 11-4, 8-11, 11-9 (43m)
Harley Lam (HKG) bt Nicholas Calvert (AUS) 3-1: 11-7, 11-5, 8-11, 11-7 (48m)
Temwa Chileshe (NZL) bt [WC] Jamie Pattison (AUS) 3-0: 11-6, 11-5, 11-7 (20m)
Robert Andrew Garcia (PHI) bt Bryan Lim Tze Kang (MAS) 3-2: 11-7, 12-10, 7-11, 7-11, 11-7 (63m)
Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) bt [WC] Benjamin Hudson (AUS) 3-0: 11-4, 11-2, 11-2 (18m)
[WC] Jack Hudson (AUS) bt Ong Sai Hung (MAS) 3-2: 11-5, 11-6, 8-11, 3-11, 11-3 (51m)
Manu Paquemar (FRA) bt Zahir Shah (PAK) 3-0: 11-8, 11-9, 11-5 (19m)
Tang Ming Hong (HKG) bt Joel Arscott (NZL) 3-0: 11-5, 11-9, 11-7 (33m)

Women’s First Round
Urwashi Joshi (IND) bt Riffat Khan (PAK) 3-0: 11-7, 11-6, 11-4 (15m)
Sehveetrraa Kumar (MAS) bt Aiman Shahbaz (PAK) 3-0: 11-3, 11-5, 11-4 (11m)
Yasshmita Jadishkumar (MAS) bt Maggy Marshall (AUS) 3-1: 11-7, 9-11, 11-3, 11-9 (22m)
Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt Noor ul Huda (PAK) 3-0: 11-5, 11-0, 11-0 (20m)
Celine Walser (SUI) bt Grace Pattison (AUS) 3-0: 11-7, 11-4, 11-3 (15m)