Jack Wong Hong Kit, Maggie Ng Man Ying Win CRC OPEN 2022 Men’s and Ladies’ Open Singles Championships

Fans turn out in droves at 74th CRC OPEN to see the stars of Hong Kong tennis

The 74th Chinese Recreation Club Open (CRC OPEN 2022) successfully concluded today, with Jack Wong Hong Kit and Maggie Ng Man Ying winning the Men’s and Ladies’ Singles Championships, respectively. Ng Hao Yuan and Lee Hsin Han seized victory in the Men’s Doubles Championship, while Maggie Ng Man Ying and Sviatlana Pirazhenka claimed the Ladies’ Doubles title. Held just months after Coleman Wong Chak-lam made Hong Kong tennis history by becoming the city’s first two-time Grand Slam winner, this year’s edition of the CRC OPEN further fuelled locals’ passion for tennis as close to 1,700 entrants competed for trophies over the six weeks leading up to today’s grand finale.

In the thrilling Men’s Open Singles final, Jack Wong Hong Kit beat Kevin Wong Chun Hun 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. Following the match, Jack Wong Hong Kit said, “It is a great experience to lift the Men's Open Singles title again at the CRC OPEN. My performance is more stable this year and I could keep calm at critical points. This motivates me to get great results at next year's Asian Games in Hangzhou.”

In the day’s other action-packed match, Maggie Ng Man Ying and Sviatlana Pirazhenka defeated the team of Sher Chun WIng and Zhang Ling 6-3, 6-2 to claim the Ladies’ Open Doubles title.

The other two marquee championships were decided yesterday, with Maggie Ng Man Ying beating Sviatlana Pirazhenka 6-2, 6-3 to take the Ladies’ Open Singles title and Ng Hao Yuan and Lee Hsin Han winning 7-6 (3), 6-3 over Jack Wong Hong Kit and Kevin Wong Chun Hun to capture the Men’s Open Doubles title.

Besides, Walter Tam Sin Hang won a treble at the CRC OPEN 2022, who triumphed in 18 or Under Boy’s Singles, 18 or Under Boy’s Doubles and 14 or Under Boy’s Singles.

Chairman of Chinese Recreation Club, Hong Kong Mr Kenneth Lam said, “The recent outstanding achievements of our local tennis stars across the globe have sparked another level of passion and enthusiasm among players and fans at this year’s CRC OPEN. There were a lot of outstanding and closely contested matches, indicating that the standard of our game in Hong Kong has continued to improve. We are particularly excited to see the fruits of our efforts in promoting the game, especially on the junior development front; for instance, there was a 20% increase from last year in the number of entrants in the 18 and Under Junior Boys’ Singles and Doubles Championships. At the CRC, we will continue to support HK Government’s promotion of sports including Hong Kong’s status as a vibrant sports hub.”

Chairman of the 74th CRC OPEN Tournament Committee Mr Edmund Ho said, “We successfully hosted the CRC OPEN from 2019 through 2022 despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are glad to see so many familiar faces return to this year’s CRC OPEN, as well as a huge number of new young faces with promising skills. Nurturing youth development has always been one of the CRCHK’s missions. CRC OPEN is the only tournament that has 14 or Under junior categories among the three major local tennis tournaments officially recognised by the HKTA. Our efforts to nurture young players and support the development of local athletes has also been further reinforced by our ‘Elite Athlete Scheme’.”

The 2022 edition featured nearly 1,700 entrants – including elite Hong Kong players who are active on the international circuit – playing in near 1,300 matches. The number of entrants in the 18 or Under Junior Boys' Singles and Doubles Championships saw a remarkable increase of 20%, illustrating the tournament’s growing importance in the development and discovery of rising young stars.

The 74th CRC OPEN offered total prizes of HK$400,000. Since 1948, it has grown from a community tennis tournament into one of Hong Kong’s marquee sports events. Over the years, it has played a key role in supporting the government’s overall development strategy to promote sports in the community, nurtured elite players and raised the profile of Hong Kong as a centre for major international sports events.

This year, the CRCHK once again joined hands with The Lok Sin Tong Benevolent Society Kowloon and Operation Santa Claus for a special charity initiative at the CRC OPEN. For every ace hit during a main draw match officiated by a chair umpire, the CRCHK pledged to donate HK$250 to the tournament’s charity partners. A total of 191 aces were served this year, meaning HK$47,750 will be donated to the underprivileged.

For highlights of the 74th CRC OPEN, visit the CRC OPEN’s Facebook page (CRC OPEN – Chinese Recreation Club, Hong Kong), YouTube channel (CRC OPEN), website (http://www.crcopen.com) and Instagram (crc_open).