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Chan Kin-wa

Angus Ng Ka-long made history on Sunday after becoming the first home player to win the men’s singles title at the Yonex-Sunrise Hong Kong Open since its inauguration in 1982.
The 22-year-old, a former world junior doubles champion, picked up his first superseries title after holding off the challenge of India’s Sameer Verma, who has beaten Ng twice in the past at the world and Asian Junior Championships in 2012.
But Ng picked the perfect time to reverse the trend as he prevailed in three games, 21-14, 10-21, 21-11, in front of a roaring crowd of 6,000 at the Coliseum in Hung Hom.
Former world number one Wang Chen, now a coach at the Sports Institute, lifted the women’s singles title for Hong Kong in 2008.

“I used to watch the Hong Kong Open when I was a little kid and dreamed of one day being part of it in the future,” said Ng, who started formal training at the Sports Institute 10 years ago. “I am so happy it has come true as winning the Hong Kong Open is a big moment in my career.
“In fact, someone was joking to me before asking if I would like to win the All England or the home tournament. I had no hesitation in saying the Hong Kong Open because it would be in front of the home crowds, which is important to the sport here.”
Ng had already made a breakthrough for Hong Kong 12 months ago when he became the first local player to reach the semi-finals, beating two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan, of China, on the way before falling to Malaysia’s eventual champion Lee Chong Wei.
Returning to the same venue one year later, Ng cut a more resolute and confident figure, reaching his third superseries semi-final this year.

Ng admitted that his two previous losses to Verma had played on his mind before the final.
“After knowing we will meet again in the final, I feared it might be the same result,” he said. “But once the match started, I didn’t think too much about it.
“I wasn’t even thinking about creating another milestone for Hong Kong badminton, I was simply focused on the game.
“Today, the wind was a bit tricky but after the score was levelled at 1-1, I tried to be more aggressive and my strategy worked.”
Ng has already qualified for the superseries finals in Dubai next month, when the top eight players and pairs in all five events after 12 legs battle it out for supremacy.

“My next target will be the Dubai finals and hopefully I can reach the semi-finals, but in a long term, I want to reach the world’s top five and make regular appearances in the big tournaments and win them,” said Ng, currently ranked 14 in the world after reaching a high of ninth earlier this year.
He also qualified for the Rio Olympics but was beaten by Son Wan-ho, of South Korea, in the round of 16.
Tai Tzu-ying, of Taiwan, enjoyed a double celebration after clinching the women’s singles title at the US$400,000 Yonex-Sunrise Hong Kong Open at the Coliseum in Hung Hom on Sunday.
Her straight games 21-15, 21-17 victory over Pusala V. Sindhu of India in the final not only was sweet revenge after losing to the same Indian opponent at the Olympic Games this summer but also took her to the top of the world rankings, overtaking Rio champion Carolina Marin, of Spain.

It was also Tai’s second Hong Kong Open title after winning here in 2014 when she defeated Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in the final.
Denmark’s Kamilla Rytter Juhl and Christina Pedersen of Denmark completed a poor tournament for world powerhouses China, beating mainlanders Huang Dongping and Li Yinhui in the women’s doubles final 21-19, 21-10.
It meant China leave Hong Kong with zero titles, worse than the China Open the previous week when they reached four finals but lost them all. In Hong Kong, they only reached the women’s doubles final.
In the mixed doubles, Indonesians Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir, the Rio Olympic Games gold medallists, beat compatriots Praveen Jordan and Debby Susanto 21-19, 21-17 in the final.
In the men’s doubles, Japan’s Takeshi Kamura and Keigo Sonoda won the title by beating Denmark’s Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen 21-91, 21-19.


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Badminton World Tour: Hong Kong’s Angus Ng wins first title in 3 years at German Open

Angus Ng Ka-long

Angus Ng Ka-long wins Hong Kong Open – first home champion in the tournament’s 34-year history

Hong Kong’s Angus Ng Ka-long celebrates on the top step of the podium after winning the Hong Kong Open. Photo: EPA

India's Sameer Verma plays a shot against Hong Kong's Angus Ng in their men's singles final at the Hong Kong Open badminton tournament in Hong Kong on November 27, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / Jayne RUSSELL

epa05649274 Angus Ng Ka-long of Hong Kong returns a shot to Sameer Verma of India during the Yonex-Sunrise Hong Kong Open badminton tournament in Hong Kong, China, 27 November 2016. EPA/JEROME FAVRE

Taiwan's Tai Tzu-ying hits a shot against India's P.V. Sindhu during the women's singles final of the Hong Kong Open badminton tournament in Hong Kong on November 27, 2016. / AFP PHOTO

epa05649278 Angus Ng Ka-long of Hong Kong, (R), and Sameer Verma of India, (L), stand on the podium during the award ceremony for the men's single final at the Yonex-Sunrise Hong Kong Open badminton tournament in Hong Kong, China, 27 November 2016. Ng won the match 21:14, 10:21, 21:11. EPA/JEROME FAVRE

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The 22-year-old beats India’s Sameer Verman 21-14, 10-21, 21-11 in the men’s singles final at the Coliseum
