Coleman Wong urged to ‘swing freely’ against son of Argentine football World Cup winner
Hongkonger gains ‘lucky loser’ reprieve after losing qualifying epic, coach praises 21-year-old’s resilience: ‘no loss is catastrophic’
Coleman Wong Chak-lam was handed a “present and a bonus” when his second lucky loser reprieve in two weeks sent him on a collision course with the son of an Argentinian football legend at the Copa Cap Cana Challenger event in the Dominican Republic.
Tuning up for next week’s Miami Open, the tournament where he beat current world No 8 Ben Shelton last year, Wong thought he had been ousted in qualifying following a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 loss to Martin Landaluce.
Withdrawals have given the Hongkonger a second chance, however, and he will meet Roman Andres Burruchaga, the world No 98 whose dad, Jorge, scored the winning goal when Diego Maradona-inspired Argentina beat West Germany 3-2 in the 1986 World Cup final.
“Burruchaga will be tough, he’s a battler, especially on the slow Cap Cana courts in humid conditions,” said James Allemby, the 21-year-old’s coach.
Wong’s defeat by world No 155 Landaluce was a microcosm of his topsy-turvy year so far.
He recovered from being broken in the opening game to claim the first set but decisively dropped his serve in the eighth game of the second.