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(15 October 2024, HONG KONG) A veritable constellation of additional stars has added their names to the impressive roster of top players heading to Hong Kong to compete in the WTA 250 Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open 2024, including four-time Grand Slam champion and former world No.1 Naomi Osaka now joining a stellar tournament line up. A firm fans favourite, Naomi won the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021 and the US Open in 2018 and 2020, with her three other career titles coming at Indian Wells, Beijing, and Osaka.  She is the first Japanese player to win a Grand Slam and the first player from Asia to hold the top ranking in singles, claiming the No.1 spot in January 2019, which she held for 21 weeks. Naomi makes a very welcome return to Hong Kong after participating in the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open in 2017 and visiting to…

(3) Oksana Kalashnikova/Aliaksandra Sasnovich v. Tang Qianhui/Tsao Chia Yi First set: Surprisingly, it was the least experienced player on the court, 19-year-old Tsao Chia Yi, who enjoyed the better start and the Chinese Taipei-China combo broke the No. 3 seeded pair to go up 2-1. However, Tang, with an upper right arm injury, was not able to serve with the usual full motion and her abbreviated serves were becoming a liability. Kalashnikova/Sasnovich broke back to even at 2-2. Tsao received a time violation warning but nonetheless saved a couple of break points to hold for 3-3. Tang/Tsao squandered a break point, as Kalashnikova held on to go up 4-3. Tang struggled on serve but held to even things at 4-4. Kalashnikova was often caught poaching late but Sasnovich's superior groundstrokes as a singles player got her out of trouble again, as she saved two more break points to hold for…

Leylah Fernandez v. (5) Anna Blinkova The left-handed Fernandez, the 2021 US Open runner-up who was ranked as high as No. 13 in the world, came out on fire right from the get-go, breaking the 5th-seeded Blinkova twice with a variety of sharp-angled drives and delicate drop shots to nullify her opponent's power game. The Canadian also served extremely well, reaching 80% on first serves and hit 12 winners and only 2 unforced errors to take the first set 6-2. Fernandez was everywhere and getting everything thrown at her by Blinkova, as she broke serve again to go up 2-0. Points were hard to come by for Blinkova, as Fernandez consolidated for a quick-fire 3-0 lead. A great hold from Blinkova, who had to work hard to get on the board here in the second set, 3-1. Fernandez had yet to face a break point on her serve and she…

(5) Anna Blinkova v. Sara Sorribes Tormo Fifth seed Blinkova came out surprisingly flat, shanking her normally reliable topspin forehands left and right, and lost serve straight away to trail 2-0. Blinkova's forehand woes continued, as Sorribes Tormo consolidated for a lightning-quick 3-0 lead. Blinkova suddenly exploded with a couple of sweetly-struck forehand down the lines to get on the board 3-1. The Spaniard continued to frustrate Blinkova, as she came from 15-40 down to hold for 4-1. The No. 5 seed now finding her lethal forehands with increasing regularity, broke her opponent to love to peg the score back to 4-3. Blinkova held authoritatively to draw even at 4-4. With her forehands now firing on all cylinders, Blinkova has embarked on a mission of taking Sorribes Tormo's short second serves for winner after winner. Blinkova broke through again to go up 5-4. Serving for the set, however, Blinkova previously…

(4) Wang Xinyu v. Sara Sorribes Torma Wang came out firing on all cylinders and produced a love break with a backhand crosscourt winner but handed the advantage right back with a slew of unforced errors. More miscues from the No. 4 seed, as Sorribes Torma held for 2-1. The Spaniard broke Wang to love for a 3-1 lead. Wang suddenly woke up and nailed two inside-out forehand winners to break back for 3-2. Wang lost serve for third time to trail 4-2 with some poorly-executed shots. The match was turning into a break serve fest, as Wang hit back with off-forehands to break and pegged the score back to 4-3. The 4th seed finally held to draw even at 4-4. After the Spaniard held to go up 5-4, Wang quickly fell behind the count with an array of errors, as Sorribes Tormo broke to love to claim the first…

(2) Haddad Maia v. Sasnovich Second seed Beatriz Haddad Maia began the match with a three-game run but lost serve twice in a row, as Sasnovich snatched the next four to go up 4-3. Haddad Maia, striking the ball with better depth and power, broke back immediately to even at 4-4. There were no more breaks, as servers took proceedings to a tiebreak. After conceding a mini-break to start, the No. 2 seed produced four mini-breaks to arrive at 6-1. Even though Haddad Maia wasted the first couple of set points on her own serve to allow her opponent to peg the score back to 6-3, she rips another backhand crosscourt winner to take the opening set in a tiebreak, 7-3. Sasnovich wasted no time to make her intentions known, as she broke Haddad Maia right out of the gates for a 2-0 lead. The No. 2 seed, however, broke…

Final Round of Qualifying Kazakhstan's Anna Danilina broke serve five times to beat Daria Lodikova in straight sets 6-4 6-2 to qualify for the maindraw. Sofya Lansere maintained an upper-hand in total points won from start to finish against Eva Yang, as she staved off 4 of 5 break points and broke her Chinese Taipei opponent twice in the third to win 6-3 4-6 6-4. Reigning Aussie and Roland Garros girls' singles champion Alina Korneeva also booked herself a spot in the maindraw by breaking Conny Perrin of France four times to go through 6-3 6-4. Daria Saville, the 2017 PHKTO runner-up, was mired in a dogfight with Dalila Jakupovic and had to fight from a set down to win 4-6 7-5 6-3 to earn her ticket to the maindraw. Main Draw First Round Yastremska v Andreeva Both players were hitting pretty cleanly in the early going, as teenager went…

(10 October 2023, HONG KONG) Hong Kong, China Tennis Association (“HKCTA”) unveiled the exciting news today that HKCTA Ambassador Eason Chan will join a WTA star and local wheelchair players Ma Ka On and Lau Koon Tung for an entertainment-packed celebrity exhibition match at Victoria Park Tennis Stadium on Wednesday 11th October. Part of Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open’s (“PHKTO”) 2023 week-long series of entertainment activities, the match will take place prior to the evening’s main draw matches at 6:30pm on Centre Court and can be watched by all Wednesday 11 October ticket holders. Fans will be able to watch Eason first hit with the WTA player to music before pairing with Ma Ka On (‘On Chai’) to take on the WTA player and Lau Koon Tung in a friendly short-format exhibition match. Those present for Eason’s celebrity exhibition match with Li Na at PHKTO 2018 will remember an entertaining…

Christy Che and Vienna Lai, Hong Kong's two highest-ranked junior players with ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Rankings of No. 490 and No. 598 respectively, were given qualifying wildcards to compete in this year's tournament. Despite the seemingly lopsided defeats, it was an indispensable learning experience for the pair of local teenagers who were competing in a WTA Tour event for the first time in their careers. Qualies No. 8 seed Daria Lodikova, world ranked No. 384, has already won a pair of W15 titles in Antalya this season. Against current Hong Kong junior No. 1, Christy Che, who is still seeking her first victory on the ITF Women's World Tennis Tour, Lodikova had the upper-hand, as expected. The 8th seed won in straight sets 6-1 6-2, but Che did well to save 6 of 10 break points and carved out two of her own, even though she was unable…

(6 October 2023, HONG KONG) Hong Kong, China Tennis Association (“HKCTA”) announced today that top 50 players Anna Blinkova (No.39), Martina Trevisan (No.40), Peyton Stearns (No.46) and Vavara Gracheva (No.47) as well as seven-time doubles Grand Slam champion Kateřina Siniaková and 2017 PHKTO singles finalist Daria Gavrilova have joined the field for the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open (“PHKTO”). The WTA 250 tournament takes place between 7 and 15 October at Victoria Park Tennis Stadium. Anastasia Potapova announced her withdrawal from the event due to injury and has been replaced in the singles main draw by 2018 PHKTO singles champion Dayana Yastremska. The PHKTO singles draw will be led by two-time Grand Slam singles champion Victoria Azarenka, 2023 Roland Garros singles semi-finalist Beatriz Haddad Maia and world No.29 Elise Mertens alongside dangerous threats Leylah Fernandez, 2017 PHKTO singles champion Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, China’s Wang Xinyu and Wang Xiyu and teen sensation…