VW Bega Open: Yuk and Lau Secure Double Delight For Hong Kong

The Volkswagen Bega Open came to its conclusion on Sunday afternoon at the Bega Country Club, with the Hong Kong duo of Chan Sin Yuk and Tsz Kan Lau taking the victories on Australian soil.

Yuk has become the first two-time winner on Tour this season, following her victory at the Costa North Coast Open last month. The World No.36 came into this event as the top seed for the women’s draw, and she dropped just a single game en route to the title.

After receiving a bye through the opening day’s action, the Hongkonger started her campaign in New South Wales against Switzerland’s Celine Walser, winning in straight games. She then defeated compatriot Cheng Nga Ching to make it through to the semi-finals.

In the last four, Yuk came up against Malaysia’s Chan Yiwen, and she dropped the second game of that semi-final contest, but fought back to win in four to advance to another final, where she came up against Malaysia’s Yee Xin Ying. Both women were aiming for their second titles of the season, but it was the World No.36 that took the win in he final 11-7, 11-6, 11-3 to become the first multiple-winner of the 2022-2023 campaign.

In the men’s event, it was another member of the Hong Kong squad that took the victory, as No.2 seed Tsz Kwan Lau came through to win his first event on Tour since the Perrier Squash Challenge Cup back in 2019.

He also started the week with a bye in the first round, before then getting the better of Switzerland’s Robin Gadola in the last 16. Lau then overcame compatriot Chi Him Wong in the quarter finals, beating his fellow Hongkonger in straight games.

Lau, the World No.66, then came up against No.3 seed Mohammad Syafiq Kamal in the semi-finals, and once again was able to win in straight games, needing just 33 minutes to advance to the final. In that final, the Hongkonger got the better of the unseeded Rex Hedrick, who had take out the top seed earlier in the competition, to win his first Tour title in over three years.

Results: Volkswagen Bega Open
Men’s Final
[2] Tsz Kwan Lau (HKG) bt Rex Hedrick (AUS) 3-0: 11-8, 11-5, 11-8 (43m)

Women’s Final
[1] Chan Sin Yuk (HKG) bt [8] Yee Xin Ying (MAS) 3-0: 11-7, 11-6, 11-3 (22m)

Men’s Semi-Finals
Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) 3-1: 11-7, 4-11, 11-6, 11-9 (63m)
[2] Tsz Kwan Lau (HKG) bt [3] Mohammad Syafiq Kamal (MAS) 3-0: 11-7, 11-6, 11-9 (33m)

Women’s Semi-Finals
[1] Chan Sin Yuk (HKG) bt [3] Chan Yiwen (MAS) 3-1: 11-5, 9-11, 11-6, 11-6 (34m)
[8] Yee Xin Ying (MAS) bt Ainaa Amani (MAS) 3-2: 11-7, 11-5, 9-11, 0-11, 12-10 (45m)

Men’s Quarter Finals
Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt [1] Muhammad Asim Khan (PAK) 3-1: 5-11, 11-5, 11-4, 12-10 (51m)
Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) bt [4] Addeen Idrakie (MAS) 3-1: 13-11, 10-12, 11-8, 11-8 (74m)
[3] Mohammad Syafiq Kamal (MAS) bt [7] Darren Rahul Pragasam (MAS) 3-2: 11-13, 11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 11-4 (79m)
[2] Tsz Kwan Lau (HKG) bt [6] Chi Him Wong (HKG) 3-0: 11-7, 11-5, 11-4 (32m)

Women’s Quarter Finals
[1] Chan Sin Yuk (HKG) bt [7] Cheng Nga Ching (HKG) 3-0: 11-4, 11-6, 11-7 (23m)
[3] Chan Yiwen (MAS) bt [6] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) 3-1: 11-7, 9-11, 11-9, 12-10 (43m)
Ainaa Amani (MAS) bt Ching Hei Fung (HKG) 3-1: 11-5, 11-6, 9-11, 11-3 (35m)
[8] Yee Xin Ying (MAS) bt [2] Grace Gear (ENG) 3-1: 9-11, 13-11, 11-9, 11-4 (37m)

Men’s Round Two
[1] Muhammad Asim Khan (PAK) bt Chung Yat Long (HKG) 3-0: 11-4, 1-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-9 (49m)
Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt [5] Lwamba Chileshe (NZL) 3-0: 11-6, 11-5, 11-4 (29m)
Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) bt [8] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) 3-0: 11-7, 11-2, 11-5 (35m)
[4] Addeen Idrakie (MAS) bt Rhys Dowling (AUS) 3-2: 9-11, 3-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-7 (59m)
[3] Mohammad Syafiq Kamal (MAS) bt Tang Ming Hong (HKG) 3-1: 11-7, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9 (48m)
[4] Darren Rahul Pragasam (MAS) bt Temwa Chileshe (NZL) 3-2: 7-11, 11-6, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9 (66m)
[6] Chi Him Wong (HKG) bt Ong Sai Hung (MAS) 3-0: 11-5, 11-2, 11-5 (32m)
[2] Tsz Kwan Lau (HKG) bt Robin Gadola (SUI) 3-1: 8-11, 11-3, 11-9, 12-10 (41m)

Women’s Round Two
[1] Chan Sin Yuk (HKG) bt Celine Walser (SUI) 3-0: 11-5, 12-10, 11-5 (21m)
[7] Cheng Nga Ching (HKG) bt Sehveetrraa Kumar (MAS) 3-1: 3-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-7 (34m)
[6] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) bt Ooi Kah Yan (MAS) 3-0: 11-8, 11-7, 11-8 (23m)
[3] Chan Yiwen (MAS) bt Rachael Grinham (AUS) 3-1: 11-6, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6 (36m)
Ching Hei Fung (HKG) bt [4] Sarah Cardwell (AUS) 3-1: 7-11, 12-10, 11-4, 11-9 (41m)
Ainaa Amani (MAS) bt [5] Alex Haydon (AUS) 3-0: 11-7, 11-9, 11-8 (26m)
[8] Yee Xin Ying (MAS) bt Akari Midorikawa (JPN) 3-0: 11-7, 11-6, 11-5 (25m)
[2] Grace Gear (ENG) bt Aira Azman (MAS) 3-2: 8-11, 1-6, 5-11, 11-6, 11-7 (47m)

Men’s Round One
Chung Yat Long (HKG) bt Robert Andrew Garcia (PHI) 3-2: 11-7, 6-11, 7-11, 11-2, 11-9 (57m)
Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt Harley Lam (HKG) 3-1: 4-11, 11-5, 11-4, 11-1 (43m)
Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) bt Wailok To (HKG) 3-0: 11-4, 11-2, 11-4 (27m)
Rhys Dowling (AUS) bt [WC] Tate Zak Norris (AUS) 3-1: 11-9, 11-7, 6-11, 12-10 (42m)
Tang Ming Hong (HKG) bt Nicholas Calvert (AUS) 3-2: 5-11, 11-6, 11-3, 9-11, 11-8 (61m)
Temwa Chileshe (NZL) bt [WC] Damon MacMillan (AUS) 3-0: 11-2, 11-13, 11-4, 8-11, 11-3
Ong Sai Hung (MAS) bt [WC] Rohan Toole (AUS) 3-1: 11-5, 10-12, 11-3, 11-7 (36m)
Robin Gadola (SUI) bt Manu Paquemar (FRA) 3-0: 11-3, 11-6, 11-6 (29m)

Women’s Round One
Celine Walser (SUI) bt Riffat Khan (PAK) 3-0: 11-0, 11-4, 11-1 (13m)
Sehveetrraa Kumar (MAS) bt Tayla Mounter (ENG) 3-0: 11-3, 11-5, 11-1 (13m)
Ooi Kah Yan (MAS) bt Noor ul Huda (PAK) 3-0: 11-9, 11-5, 11-0 (17m)
Rachael Grinham (AUS) bt Aiman Shahbaz (PAK) 3-0: 11-5, 11-1, 11-4 (15m)
Ching Hei Fung (HKG) bt Au Yeong Wai Yhann (SGP) 3-0: 11-9, 11-5, 11-9 (28m)
Ainaa Amani (MAS) bt Urwashi Joshi (IND) 3-1: 8-11, 11-3, 11-4, 11-3 (25m)
Akari Midorikawa (JPN) bt Madison Lyon (AUS) 3-0: 11-5, 13-11, 12-10 (25m)
Aira Azman (MAS) bt Erin Classen (AUS) 3-1: 11-5, 11-5, 8-11, 11-2 (28m)