In a surprising twist at the Miami Masters, the rising star from Hong Kong, Coleman Wong, has etched his name in the annals of tennis history. The 20-year-old wildcard player shocked his opponent, the 13th-seeded Ben Shelton, by clinching a nail-biting victory 7-6, 2-6, 7-6 in a marathon match lasting two hours and 16 minutes.
Despite having a solid 5-2 lead in the decisive set and two match points under his belt, Wong faced a relentless Shelton who fought tooth and nail to change the course of the game. The gritty American was a mere two points away from victory, but a heartbreaking loss to the world’s 182nd ranked player was his fate.
In a dramatic turn of events, Wong achieved his maiden Top 20 victory against Shelton. The younger player had his job cut out for him, with Shelton dominating the second set and scoring 11 points more than the Hong Konger.
Wong, however, showed immense resilience. Despite trailing in the first and second serve and having to defend eight break points, he managed to remain in the game. Wong was broken thrice and had to muster all his strength to stay competitive, capitalizing on one of three break opportunities.
The match was closely contested, with Shelton finishing the duel with a 47-30 win ratio. Wong held his own with 36 winners and 33 unforced errors, primarily from his powerful forehand. Service winners saw the American take a 42-30 lead, but the players were evenly matched from the baseline and at the net.
An enthralling volley of seven fine holds kicked off the duel. Shelton created two break opportunities in the eighth game, which Wong defended successfully with service winners. The Hong Kong player managed to close the tenth game after a deuce, adding more drama to the match with a spectacular volley winner at the net.
The roller-coaster first set led to a tie-break, with Shelton gaining an early advantage. However, a composed Wong clawed back into the game, claiming two points on the return to level the playing field. The younger player then managed a perfect forehand down the line for a 5-3 lead, capitalizing on Shelton’s mistake in the ninth point to secure three set points. Unfortunately for Shelton, a forehand error cost him the first set 7-6 after an intense 50 minutes.
Shelton mounted a comeback in the second set. The 13th seed served well and delivered two break points, while Wong’s routine forehand in the first game let him down. Shelton then seized control, holding at 15 in the fourth game and making another push on the return in the fifth.
The American player caught Wong off-guard with a sharp return, claiming his second break and surging 4-1 ahead. He served for the set at 5-2 and wrapped it up with a service winner, tying the match and setting the stage for a decisive final set.
The final set saw Wong stave off two break points in the first game to halt his downfall. However, a missed backhand in the sixth game put him 4-2 down. Wong rallied in the seventh game to take a 5-2 lead and served for the win at 5-3.
Shelton, however, was not ready to throw in the towel. He upped his game, delivering a love break with a backhand down-the-line return winner, reducing the deficit and prolonging the match. Facing two match points at 5-6, Shelton denied Wong with brilliant winners and held serve to force a tie-break.
In the tie-break, Wong found himself 2-1 ahead before missing a smash in the fourth point. Shelton took the lead at 4-3 with a service winner, but Wong roared back with a forehand winner and a powerful serve for a 5-4 lead. In an intense battle, Shelton managed to grab the tenth point with a clever smash winner.
A forehand error in the 11th point by Shelton presented Wong with a match point, which the Hong Kong player grabbed with a service winner. The emotional celebration that followed showed the world that a new tennis star had arrived.
