Davis Cup: Hong Kong hope to ride wave of support, Uzbekistan prepared for tough tie
City skipper Yu Hiu-tung says his team will capitalise on Coleman Wong’s good form and try to qualify for World Group I
Hong Kong Davis Cup captain Yu Hiu-tung said his side were not under “any pressure at all” and hoped to ride a wave of support against Uzbekistan when their World Group II tie gets under way at Victoria Park on Saturday.
His counterpart, Denis Istomin, said the Uzbek team were ready to fight after coming early to prepare for what he called tough conditions.
The winner of the tie, which will be played over two days in front of an expected sell-out crowd at the Causeway Bay venue, will secure their spot in the 2026 World Group I Play-offs.
Hong Kong have not competed in the second-highest level of the Davis Cup since 1991.
“Of course, we have an opportunity, because since Coleman [Wong Chak-lam] had good results in the US Open, there’s a lot of confidence,” Yu said. “All our players are pretty excited, so I don’t think they have any pressure at all. They love the crowd, and hopefully the crowd will help us behind our backs as well.”
At an average age of 21 years and two months, Yu has picked the fourth-youngest Hong Kong team in history, while Uzbekistan boast top-500 pair Khumoyun Sultanov and Sergey Fomin in their contingent.