India Challengers February 2024

[Rajiv]

So Mr Wong beats Ram’s conqueror 7-6,6-3 and move into the semis to a CH of 228 , Finals will get him around 210 and a title to around 190.
The match was decided in the titanic first set which lasted around 70 minutes where the players traded breaks and in the long TB which Mr Wong won 12-10 there were 11 mini breaks during that tiebreak.
It was quite a treat to watch this young 19 year old talent with wide range of shots and variation in his serving and the way changed his tactics in the TB with constant forays to the net was a treat to see those classical text book volleys with low bending, left foot forward at 130/140 degrees angle and finishing it with a cross court volley, and just as i predicted him reaching this stage 16 months ago , see him easily breaking the 150 barrier or even higher by the year end.

And this is how a sophisticated association without any Tennis legacy works , if they spot a talent they know how to harness it and nurture , Coleman has 2 travelling coaches , regular trips to Nadal academy with sufficient funding from the Sports authority ,credit card companies , and business conglomerates chipping in ,and with all of this at his disposal Mr Wong can completely focus on Tennis without any distractions on how he will pay his coaching , air tickets etc and not like our talents who have to fend for themselves with no support whatsoever from the powers at helm and who in turn are glorified by the glorifying agents with Sir’s & Ji’s.

One of Coleman’s travelling coach is Ms Po who reached a CH of 200’s on the WTA in singles and around 150 in the dbls and during talks with her she always brings to my notice that one of her of regular doubles partner was Manisha Malhotra and one of her favourite tournament victories with Manisha was on the Grass courts of Lucknow where they took the ITF title.

[sameerph]

Yes, Rajiv. Wong looks promising, I saw his match against Mukund and he played really well to deny Mukund a comeback win in that match.

I think Karan Rastogi is also in the coaching team of Hongkong. Does he have any role to play in development and coaching of Hong ?

[Rajiv]

^^^ , Karan doesn't have any role in Mr Wong, in fact left the association 5 - 6 years ago , and is now working as coach in a private exclusive club in Kowloon Tong.

[sameerph]

^^^. Oh, I thought he is still with the association. I wonder if he is decent coach, why any of the Indian academies or players have not hired him since we are so short of quality coaches.

[Rajiv]

19 year old Mr Wong appears to be in good form as he enters his 3rd career Challenger Finals overcoming his Japanese opponent in straight sets 76 64, a match which was a repeat of his qtrs win.
Left hander Shimizu had taken out the top seed in the earlier rounds.

Hope the 19 year takes the crown tommorow to break in to the top 200 at around 190.