Jump to content

Eudice Chong

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Eudice Chong
張瑋桓
Country (sports) Hong Kong
Born (1996-04-22) 22 April 1996 (age 28)
New York, United States
CollegeWesleyan University
Prize moneyUS$ 195,679
Singles
Career record240–170
Career titles6 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 213 (26 December 2022)
Current rankingNo. 350 (23 September 2024)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenQ1 (2023)
Doubles
Career record233–104
Career titles30 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 134 (14 November 2022)
Current rankingNo. 153 (23 September 2024)
Team competitions
Fed Cup25–11
Last updated on: 22 September 2024.
Eudice Chong
Medal record
Representing  Hong Kong
Women's Tennis
Summer Universiade
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Naples Singles
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Naples Doubles

Eudice Chong (born 22 April 1996)[1] is a professional tennis player from Hong Kong. She reached her career-high WTA rankings in singles and doubles, both in 2022, of world No. 213 and No. 134, respectively. Chong has won 6 singles and 30 doubles titles on the ITF Circuit. [2]

Juniors

[edit]

She started competing in Junior Novice competitions in fifth grade in 2006 and won the Comp 3 under-10 and Comp 4 under-12 singles before attending the Talent Group trials that earned her a selection.[3]

She then captured the under-12 girls' singles title at the Hong Kong National Junior Tennis Championships 2008 by beating Caroline Lampl,[4] who went on to win three NCAA championships with Stanford University.[5]

At age 16, Chong added the Hong Kong National Junior Tennis Championships 2012 under-18 girls' singles title.[6] In 2010 and 2011, she claimed back-to-back CRC Open 18 & Under School Girls' Open Singles Championship titles.[7][8] She was selected to represent Hong Kong in the under-14 WJT events in 2010 and 2011, as well as the under-16 Junior Fed Cup competitions in 2012 and 2013.[9][10] With academics being first priority, Chong competed on a limited schedule on the ITF Junior Circuit but nevertheless captured two singles and seven doubles titles and peaked at a career-high No. 200 (6 January 2014) in the world.[11]

Collegiate career

[edit]

When Chong arrived in Connecticut in 2014, Wesleyan had only made it to the NCAA tournament just once in its program's 42-year history. Moreover, the school had yet to produce an individual national champion. In her freshman year, Chong defeated Joulia Likhanskaia (Bowdoin College), 6–4, 4–6, 7–5, to win the NCAA Division III women's singles championship. In 2016, she beat Juli Raventos (Williams College), 6–2, 7–5, to repeat as champion. In 2017, Chong saw off the challenge of Rebecca Ho (Washington University in St. Louis), 6–4, 2–6, 6–2, to three-peat. Then, in her senior year in 2018, she defeated Victoria Yu (Wesleyan University), 7–6, 6–2, to become the first player, man or woman, in NCAA tennis history to capture four straight singles titles at any division of collegiate tennis.[12][13][14][15]

Chong then garnered the prestigious Division III Honda Athlete of the Year Award to conclude a stellar college career. The Honda Award honors the nation's top women in collegiate sports in recognition of their superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence, and eagerness to participate in community service. Inaugurated in 1976 for Division I athletes, followed by Divisions II and III in 1988, Chong is only the third tennis player in history to receive the Honda Athlete of the Year Award accolade among all divisions.[16][17] "It is such an amazing honor to be receiving such a prestigious award, and these chances only come once in a lifetime!" exclaimed Chong. "Receiving this award means especially more because it shows that I've made an impact in some way or other throughout my collegiate career, and that I finished my four years giving it everything I've got. As an athlete of any sport, it means so much to see your hard work recognized, and in my case, I am lucky enough to be surrounded by people who have helped me get where I am and who continue to provide unwavering support."[18]

Chong was presented with this honor at THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda that was telecasted live on the CBS Sports Network on June 25, 2018 from the Founders' Room at the Galen Center on the campus of the University of Southern California in downtown Los Angeles. The honor was voted on by national balloting among 1,000 NCAA member schools as part of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards program since 1976.[19]
She was named Division III ITA National Senior Player of the Year and finished her career at Wesleyan as the all-time leader in singles wins, in addition to her four first-team All-Americas in both singles and doubles, and three NESCAC Player of the Year honors. Chong also led her team to three consecutive NCAA tournaments from 2016 to 2018. In 2015, her freshman year, Chong became the first Wesleyan women's tennis player in program history to compete in the individual NCAA Championships.[20]

All four years, she held the year-end Division III No. 1 ranking and was a four-time selection to the ITA Collegiate All-Star Team, which featured the nation's top-ranked men and women from the year-end Oracle/ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings, in addition to winners of the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships and NCAA Division I and III Championships.[21]

Eudice Chong wins record-setting fourth straight NCAA DIII women's singles championship

"She's a game changer in every sense of the expression," Wesleyan head coach Mike Fried said. "It's been really exciting to see the changes around the campus not only facility wise, but in terms of excitement about what she's doing individually and what we're doing as a team. Over her four years at Wesleyan, she established herself as one of the most accomplished NCAA Division III athletes ever, and she did so with an extraordinary amount of grace, sportsmanship and humility."[22]

"Over the past four years she has provided the foundation which has enabled us to build a national caliber tennis program at Wesleyan. Everyone she has come in contact with during her time at Wesleyan appreciates her passion and commitment and feels fortunate to have had the opportunity to support her during her historical collegiate career," enthused Wesleyan Athletics Director, Mike Whalen. "She's someone that comes to a program maybe once in a lifetime. We recognize that and Wesleyan is a better place because Eudice is on our campus and her contributions both on and off the court will be a part of our tennis program for many years to come."[23]

Prior to Chong's exploits, Principia's Courtney Allen (1984–85), Menlo's Caroline Bodart (1988–89), Methodist's Elena Blanina (2001–02), and Emory's Mary Ellen Gordon (2003–04) were the only players to win two successive Division III women's singles titles. In Division I, Patty Fendick (Stanford, 1986–87), Lisa Raymond (Florida, 1992–93), Laura Granville (Stanford, 2000–01), Amber Liu [24] (Stanford, 2003–04), and Nicole Gibbs (Stanford, 2012–13) were the only players who managed back-to-back singles titles.[25]

The only player in college history with three consecutive national singles titles was Malcolm Chace in Division I where he claimed men's singles in 1893 representing Brown and again in 1894 and 1895 when he played for Yale.[26]

At the 2017 ITA Oracle Cup (formerly the ITA National Small College Championships) at Indian Wells, Chong defeated Ysabel Gonzalez Rico (Emory), 7–6, 6–2, to win the Division III women's singles and then teamed up with Victoria Yu (Wesleyan) to beat Ysabel Gonzalez Rico and Bridget Harding (Emory), 6–1, 6–1, to win the Division III women's doubles. The duo then saw off NAIA champions Megan Bianco and Daniela Farfan (Keiser), 6–1, 6–2, and Division II winners Hanna Volikova and Alina Kislitskaya (Indianapolis), 6–4, 6–2, to win the Women's Doubles Championship, which automatically secured them a berth in the ITA Fall National Championships.[27]

At the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships, Chong and Yu then knocked out No. 6 seed Jessie Aney and Alexa Graham (North Carolina), 6–3, 6–3, in the opening round and then eliminated another Division I pair, Mami Adachi and Akvile Parazinskaite (Kentucky), 6–2, 5–7, [10–8], before they were upended by Alexa Bortles and Arianne Hartono (Ole Miss), 6–2, 6–2, in the quarterfinals. Hartono, as it turned out, would go on to win the 2018 NCAA Division I singles title.[28]

At the 2015 USTA/ITA National Small College Championships, Chong defeated Ashnaa Rao (Johns Hopkins), 6–1, 6–1, to win the Division III women's singles and then partnered teammate Victoria Yu to beat Bridget Harding and Katarina Su (Emory), 6–0, 6–1, to claim the doubles.[29]

Chong graduated from Wesleyan University with a Psychology major and a minor in Asian Studies. A number of Division I schools, including Harvard, Dartmouth, and Georgetown showed interest in her early in the recruitment process, but her motivation to experience the unique and academically challenging college life of a small liberal arts school eventually saw her commit to Wesleyan.[30]

Serving the local community featured prominently on her already loaded college calendar, as she found time for the Wesleyan Leadership Committee of Student Athletes of Color, Leadership Committee of Mabuhay (Annual Pan-Asian Culture Show), and was co-president of the Hong Kong Student Association. She also volunteered weekly at a local Assisted Living facility and facilitated a new partnership with the Goals for Girls program from Reclaim Childhood and the women's tennis team.[31]

"On the tennis court, I've become so much tougher. I've been able to show this grit, making every point and every match count. I've been able to focus harder on each ball I hit—as well as becoming more patient and confident," said Chong. "Off the court, I've been able to better understand my identity and develop my character, through taking a huge variety of classes and becoming close friends with people from many different backgrounds. I am now able to step out of my own shoes in order to be more understanding of the people around me."[32]

Professional career

[edit]

In June 2018, she embarked on a career as a full-time touring professional following her graduation. At the World University Games in Naples, Italy, in 2019, Chong captured a bronze medal in women's singles and women's doubles. In the process, she became the first tennis player from Hong Kong to medal in singles and the first to capture two tennis medals at the same Universiade.[33]

She represented Hong Kong at the Asian Games (2014 and 2018), All China Games (2013, 2017 and 2021), Asian Championships (2013), World University Games (2015, 2017, and 2019), and Fed Cup (2012-2014, 2017-2019, 2022).[34][35][36][37] [38][39][40]

With the global pandemic adversely impacting the ITF Women's World Tennis Tour, the latter part of 2020 saw Chong make a concerted assault on the local tournaments in Hong Kong. She became the first player to equal Paulette Moreno's feat of winning the ladies' singles, ladies' doubles, and mixed doubles titles simultaneously at both the CRC Open and the Hong Kong National Tennis Championships in the same calendar year, a record that had stood untouched for 36 years.[41]

WTA Tour: Hong Kong main draw debut, Thailand doubles finalist

[edit]

Chong made her debut at the 2016 Hong Kong Tennis Open when she was awarded a wildcard for the qualifying draw. With a modest WTA ranking of No. 995, she managed to come from a set down to beat 201st-ranked Shuko Aoyama, 4–6, 6–4, 6–1, before she was ousted by No. 164 Tereza Martincová of the Czech Republic.[42]

In 2018, now ranked No. 590, she was given a main draw wildcard and faced 145th-ranked American Christina McHale. Trailing by a break and 5–3, Chong rallied to win three games in succession to force a tiebreak before claiming seven points in a row from 2–0 down to grab the breaker. However, the former world No. 24 made the necessary adjustments and tidied up her wayward groundstrokes to progress, 6–7, 6–2, 6–1. Chong: "I played well in the first set and managed to stay with her in the rallies. For the second and third sets, I started rushing too much and went for shots that I shouldn't have and that definitely made a difference. Hopefully, I can use this experience and gain confidence for the upcoming tournaments I'm playing in."

She also competed in the doubles and was given a main-draw wildcard in 2016 (w/ Katherine Ip) and 2018 (w/ Zhang Ling) but went out in the first round to Nao Hibino / Alexandrina Naydenova and Alizé Cornet / Zheng Saisai, respectively.[43][44]

In September 2024, at the WTA 250 2024 Thailand Open 2, Chong reached her first WTA Tour doubles final partnering with Moyuka Uchijima but lost to top seeds Anna Danilina and Irina Khromacheva in the championship match.[45] She received a wildcard for the singles main draw at her home tournament, the 2024 Hong Kong Tennis Open but lost to Priscilla Hon.[46]

ITF Tour

[edit]
Eudice Chong and Katherine Ip capture ITF Hong Kong doubles title

Before turning pro in 2018, she won her maiden singles title at the $15k Anning in 2017 and her career-first doubles title at the ITF Hong Kong in 2016, partnering Katherine Ip. Since then, she has amassed a total of two singles and ten doubles titles on the pro circuit. In 2019 alone, she captured six $25k doubles titles, the most by any Hong Kong player on the pro circuit. All through her travels on the tour, she has picked up titles in China, Hong Kong, Uzbekistan, Japan, and Thailand.[47]

Since coming back after COVID-19 pandemic in October 2021, Chong has won a total of 13 doubles and two singles titles with a 68–9 win–loss record in doubles within 2021-2022. From November 2021 to February 2022, she established a 25 game-winning streak in women's doubles with six titles, and obtained four consecutive $25k titles in Monastir, Tunisia within a month. In April 2022, Chong won her first $25k singles title in Nottingham.

Chong had a 59–7 record with Cody Wong in doubles, winning a total of twelve titles from January to April 2022, when they kept a 28 game-winning streak with seven titles, including a $60k title in Pretoria.

In July 2023, Chong won her first $100k doubles title at the Figueira da Foz International Ladies Open.

Grand Slam singles performance timeline

[edit]
Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# P# DNQ A Z# PO G S B NMS NTI P NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (P#) preliminary round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (Z#) Davis/Fed Cup Zonal Group (with number indication) or (PO) play-off; (G) gold, (S) silver or (B) bronze Olympic/Paralympic medal; (NMS) not a Masters tournament; (NTI) not a Tier I tournament; (P) postponed; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.
Tournament 2023 SR W–L Win %
Australian Open Q1 0 / 0 0–0  – 
French Open A 0 / 0 0–0  – 
Wimbledon A 0 / 0 0–0  – 
US Open A 0 / 0 0–0  – 
Win–loss 0–0 0 / 0 0–0  – 

WTA Tour finals

[edit]

Doubles: 1 (0 titles, 1 runner–ups)

[edit]
Legend
WTA 1000
WTA 500
WTA 250(0–1)
Finals by surface
Hard (0–1)
Clay (0–0)
Grass (0–0)
Result W–L    Date    Tournament Tier Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 0–1 Sep 2024 Thailand Open 2 WTA 250 Hard Japan Moyuka Uchijima Kazakhstan Anna Danilina
Irina Khromacheva
4–6, 5–7

ITF Circuit finals

[edit]

Singles: 14 (6 titles, 8 runner–ups)

[edit]
Legend
W40/50 tournaments (1–1)
W25/35 tournaments (2–4)
W15 tournaments (3–3)
Finals by surface
Hard (5–7)
Clay (1–1)
Result W–L    Date    Tournament Tier Surface Opponent Score
Loss 0–1 Jul 2017 ITF Anning, China 15,000 Clay China Guo Shanshan 4–6, 4–6
Win 1–1 Jul 2017 ITF Anning, China 15,000 Clay Hong Kong Zhang Ling 6–4, 4–6, 6–3
Win 2–1 Jul 2018 ITF Hong Kong, China SAR 15,000 Hard Japan Sakura Hosogi 6–0, 4–6, 6–3
Loss 2–2 May 2019 ITF Namangan, Uzbekistan 25,000 Hard Russia Valeria Savinykh 0–6, 6–4, 5–7
Loss 2–3 Nov 2019 ITF Hua Hin, Thailand 25,000 Hard Netherlands Lesley Kerkhove 6–7(5), 7–5, 5–7
Loss 2–4 Oct 2021 ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt W15 Hard China Bai Zhuoxuan 6–4, 0–6, 4–6
Win 3–4 Dec 2021 ITF Monastir, Tunisia W15 Hard Belgium Sofia Costoulas 3–6, 6–4, 7–6(5)
Loss 3–5 Mar 2022 ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt W15 Hard Romania Elena-Teodora Cadar 5–7, 3–6
Win 4–5 Apr 2022 ITF Nottingham, UK W25 Hard Croatia Jana Fett 6–2, ret.
Loss 4–6 Feb 2023 ITF Santo Domingo, Dominican Rep. W25 Hard Canada Stacey Fung 6–2, 6–7(5), 1–6
Loss 4–7 Jun 2023 ITF Hong Kong W25 Hard Chinese Taipei Yang Ya-yi 6–1, 2–6, 1–6
Loss 4–8 Jul 2023 ITF Hong Kong W40 Hard China Wang Yafan 2–6, 3–6
Win 5–8 Jun 2024 ITF Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal W50 Hard Czech Republic Gabriela Knutson 3–6, 6–2, 6–1
Win 6–8 Jul 2024 ITF Hong Kong W35 Hard China Yao Xinxin 6–3, 6–3

Doubles: 46 (30 titles, 15 runner–ups, 1 canc.)

[edit]
Legend
W100 tournaments (1–0)
W60/75 tournaments (2–1)
W40/50 tournaments (4–3)
W25/35 tournaments (18–6-1)
W10/15 tournaments (5–5)
Finals by surface
Hard (28–13)
Clay (0–2)
Carpet (2–0)
Result W–L    Date    Tournament Tier Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 0–1 Aug 2014 ITF Astana, Kazakhstan 10,000 Hard Russia Anna Grigoryan Kyrgyzstan Ksenia Palkina
Russia Ekaterina Yashina
5–7, 3–6
Loss 0–2 Jul 2015 ITF Hong Kong, China SAR 10,000 Hard Hong Kong Katherine Ip South Korea Choi Ji-hee
South Korea Lee So-ra
2–6, 2–6
Win 1–2 Jul 2016 ITF Hong Kong 10,000 Hard Hong Kong Katherine Ip Australia Alexandra Bozovic
Australia Kaylah McPhee
6–2, 6–2
Loss 1–3 Jun 2017 ITF Taipei, Taiwan 15,000 Hard Hong Kong Katherine Ip Chinese Taipei Cho I-hsuan
Chinese Taipei Cho Yi-tsen
2–6, 3–6
Win 2–3 Nov 2018 Liuzhou Open, China 60,000 Hard China Ye Qiuyu South Korea Lee So-ra
China Kang Jiaqi
7–5, 6–3
Loss 2–4 Jan 2019 ITF Singapore 25,000 Hard Hong Kong Zhang Ling New Zealand Paige Hourigan
Indonesia Aldila Sutjiadi
2–6, 3–6
Loss 2–5 Feb 2019 ITF Nanchang, China 15,000 Clay (i) South Korea Kim Da-bin China Cao Siqi
China Zheng Wushuang
5–7, 6–7(4)
Win 3–5 Apr 2019 ITF Andijan, Uzbekistan 25,000 Hard Serbia Tamara Čurović Russia Amina Anshba
Czech Republic Anastasia Dețiuc
6–2, 6–3
Win 4–5 May 2019 ITF Namangan, Uzbekistan 25,000 Hard India Rutuja Bhosale Russia Anastasia Pribylova
Belarus Shalimar Talbi
6–4, 6–3
Win 5–5 Jul 2019 ITF Nonthaburi, Thailand 25,000 Hard Indonesia Aldila Sutjiadi Thailand Peangtarn Plipuech
Japan Akiko Omae
7–6(2), 6–4
Win 6–5 Aug 2019 ITF Nonthaburi, Thailand 25,000 Hard Indonesia Aldila Sutjiadi China Wu Meixu
Japan Erika Sema
6–2, 6–1
Loss 6–6 Aug 2019 ITF Huangshan, China 25,000 Hard China Ye Qiuyu South Korea Jang Su-jeong
South Korea Kim Na-ri
5–7, 1–6
Loss 6–7 Aug 2019 ITF Guiyang, China 25,000 Hard Indonesia Aldila Sutjiadi China Tang Qianhui
China Jiang Xinyu
5–7, 5–7
Win 7–7 Oct 2019 ITF Makinohara, Japan 25,000 Carpet Indonesia Aldila Sutjiadi Japan Erina Hayashi
Japan Momoko Kobori
6–7(5), 7–6(2), [10–4]
Win 8–7 Oct 2019 ITF Hamamatsu, Japan 25,000 Carpet Indonesia Aldila Sutjiadi Japan Sakura Hondo
Japan Ramu Ueda
6–3, 6–4
Win 9–7 Jan 2020 ITF Hong Kong 25,000 Hard Chinese Taipei Wu Fang-hsien Japan Moyuka Uchijima
China Zhang Ying
7–6(2), 6–1
Win 10–7 Jan 2020 ITF Hong Kong 25,000 Hard Japan Mana Ayukawa Japan Momoko Kobori
Japan Mei Yamaguchi
6–4, 6–3
Loss 10–8 Feb 2020 Rancho Santa Fe Open, US 25,000 Hard China You Xiaodi United States Kayla Day
United States Sophia Whittle
2–6, 7–5, [7–10]
Win 11–8 Oct 2021 ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt 15,000 Hard Hong Kong Cody Wong Czech Republic Karolina Vlcková
China Wang Jiaqi
6–2, 6–4
Win 12–8 Oct 2021 ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt 15,000 Hard Hong Kong Cody Wong Japan Eri Shimizu
Hong Kong Wu Ho-ching
6–2, 6–0
Loss 12–9 Oct 2021 ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt 15,000 Hard Hong Kong Cody Wong China Bai Zhuoxuan
Thailand Punnin Kovapitukted
6–4, 2–6, [7–10]
Win 13–9 Nov 2021 ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt 15,000 Hard Hong Kong Cody Wong China Bai Zhuoxuan
Thailand Punnin Kovapitukted
4–6, 6–1, [10–4]
Win 14–9 Nov 2021 ITF Ortisei, Italy W25 Hard (i) Japan Moyuka Uchijima Switzerland Susan Bandecchi
Switzerland Ylena In-Albon
6–2, 1–6, [10–5]
Win 15–9 Nov 2021 ITF Selva Gardena, Italy W25 Hard (i) Japan Moyuka Uchijima United Kingdom Alicia Barnett
United Kingdom Olivia Nicholls
6–2, 6–1
Win 16–9 Jan 2022 ITF Monastir, Tunisia W25 Hard Hong Kong Cody Wong Russia Ksenia Laskutova
Sweden Fanny Östlund
7–6(3), 7–6(8)
Win 17–9 Jan 2022 ITF Monastir, Tunisia W25 Hard Hong Kong Cody Wong Italy Nuria Brancaccio
Italy Lisa Pigato
6–2, 6–3
Win 18–9 Jan 2022 ITF Monastir, Tunisia W25 Hard Hong Kong Cody Wong Russia Amina Anshba
Russia Maria Timofeeva
6–0, 6–1
Win 19–9 Jan 2022 ITF Monastir, Tunisia W25 Hard South Korea Han Na-lae Russia Maria Timofeeva
Belarus Anna Kubareva
7–5, 6–3
Win 20–9 Mar 2022 ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt W15 Hard Hong Kong Cody Wong Romania Karola Patricia Bejenaru
Greece Martha Matoula
6–3, 6–3
Win 21–9 Mar 2022 Pretoria International, South Africa W60 Hard Hong Kong Cody Wong Hungary Tímea Babos
Valeria Savinykh
7–5, 5–7, [10–5]
NP Apr 2022 Pretoria International 2, South Africa W25 Hard Hong Kong Cody Wong United States Anna Rogers
United States Christina Rosca
cancelled
Win 22–9 Apr 2022 ITF Nottingham, UK W25 Hard Hong Kong Cody Wong Netherlands Isabelle Haverlag
Romania Ioana Loredana Roșca
6–2, 6–3
Loss 22–10 May 2022 ITF Nottingham, UK W25 Hard Hong Kong Cody Wong Japan Mana Ayukawa
Australia Alana Parnaby
5–7, 4–6
Loss 22–11 May 2022 Grado Tennis Cup, Italy W60 Clay Chinese Taipei Liang En-shuo Alena Fomina-Klotz
Slovenia Dalila Jakupović
1–6, 4–6
Win 23–11 Jul 2022 ITF El Espinar/Segovia, Spain W25 Hard Hong Kong Cody Wong Spain Marta Huqi Gonzalez
Mexico Maria Fernanda Navarro
6–2, 4–6, [10–6]
Loss 23–12 Feb 2023 ITF Santo Domingo,
Dominican Republic
W25 Hard Bosnia and Herzegovina Nefisa Berberovic Latvia Darja Semenistaja
United States Sofia Sewing
3–6, 2–6
Win 24–12 Apr 2023 ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt W25 Hard United States Emina Bektas Darya Astakhova
Ekaterina Reyngold
6–2, 6–4
Win 25–12 May 2023 ITF Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal W40 Hard Netherlands Arianne Hartono Switzerland Naima Karamoko
Switzerland Conny Perrin
6–2, 6–0
Win 26–12 Jul 2023 ITF Hong Kong, China W40 Hard Hong Kong Cody Wong Japan Natsumi Kawaguchi
Japan Kanako Morisaki
7–5, 6–4
Win 27–12 Jul 2023 Figueira da Foz Ladies Open, Portugal W100 Hard Netherlands Arianne Hartono Alina Korneeva
Anastasia Tikhonova
6–3, 6–2
Loss 27–13 Apr 2024 ITF Kashiwa, Japan W50 Hard United Kingdom Madeleine Brooks India Ankita Raina
Chinese Taipei Tsao Chia-yi
4–6, 4–6
Loss 27–14 Apr 2024 ITF Shenzhen, China W50 Hard United Kingdom Madeleine Brooks Netherlands Arianne Hartono
India Prarthana Thombare
3–6, 2–6
Win 28–14 May 2024 ITF Goyang, South Korea W50 Hard Chinese Taipei Liang En-shuo Thailand Luksika Kumkhum
Thailand Peangtarn Plipuech
7–5, 6–4
Win 29–14 May 2024 ITF Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal W50 Hard United Kingdom Madeleine Brooks Switzerland Leonie Küng
Evialina Laskevich
6–4, 6–4
Loss 29–15 Apr 2024 ITF Shenzhen, China W50 Hard Italy Lucrezia Musetti Australia Elena Micic
Australia Alana Parnaby
6–7(6), 4–6
Win 30–15 Jul 2024 ITF Hong Kong W35 Hard Hong Kong Cody Wong Japan Hiromi Abe
Japan Saki Imamura
6–4, 3–6, [10–7]

National representation

[edit]

Fed Cup

[edit]

Chong made her Fed Cup debut at age 15 against Sri Lanka at the 2012 Asia/Oceania Group II qualifying in Shenzhen. She was also nominated in 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022. She competed in a total of 25 ties and has an overall 22-9 win–loss record, going 15-5 in singles and 7-4 in doubles. Her total of 22 victories places her third all-time behind only Zhang Ling (37-26) and Tong Ka Po (23-20). In 2014, Chong went undefeated in Group II with three wins in singles and one in doubles to help TeamHK secure promotion to Group I for 2015. In 2017, she partnered Katherine Ip to win the deciding doubles against Nigina Abduraimova and Akgul Amanmuradova, 6-7, 6-3, 6-3, to seal a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Uzbekistan in the final to send Hong Kong up to Group I for the following year's campaign.

Asian Games

[edit]

At the 18th Asian Games Jakarta-Palembang 2018, Eudice Chong produced the first noteworthy upset when she sent third-seeded Incheon 2014 silver medalist, Luksika Kumkhum, tumbling out in the second round of the women's singles, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6. The HK rep then outplayed Chinese Taipei's No. 14 seed Chang Kai-chen in straight sets 6-0, 6-2, to set up a quarterfinal meeting with India's No. 1, Ankita Raina. Since a playoff for outright third place was not required, a spot in the semis would guarantee the minimum of a bronze medal. Since tennis was first contested at the third Asian Games in Tokyo 1958, Tsui Yuen Yuen is the only player from Hong Kong to medal in tennis when she claimed a silver in women's doubles in Jakarta 1962 with Ceylon's Ranjani Jayasuriya. However, after jumping out to a 4-1 lead against the world No. 189, she was unable to maintain that advantage, as her opponent fought back from the verge of losing the first set with some high-powered tennis to go through, 6-4, 6-1.[48] In 2014, Chong was also a member of the Hong Kong women's contingent that reached the quarterfinals of the team event in Incheon, South Korea.[49]

World University Games

[edit]
Eudice Chong captures bronze medal in women's singles at the World University Games 2019 in Naples, Italy

At the XXX Summer Universiade in Naples, Italy, Chong captured Hong Kong's first-ever medal in singles and then added another bronze in women's doubles together with Maggie Ng. In doing so, she set another precedent as the first player from Hong Kong to medal twice in tennis at the same Universiade. "I'm definitely disappointed that I wasn't able to reach the finals for both events but, at the same time, I'm really happy to have made it through to the medal rounds," Chong reflected. "Representing Hong Kong is always such an honor, and to be able to come home this time with two medals is something I couldn't be prouder of."[50] Chong also competed at Gwangju 2015 and Taipei 2017, where she was one win away from the medal rounds in women's doubles partnering Katherine Ip.[51]

All China Games

[edit]

In the 2021 Shaanxi edition, Chong reached quarterfinals in women's singles, but lost in first round of women's doubles with Cody Wong.

At the All China Games in 2017, Chong played in the women's team event that saw Hong Kong finish ninth overall among 27 provincial sides. In women's singles, she served for the first set against No. 1 seed Zhang Shuai in the second round with a 6-5 lead and was up a break leading 2-0 in the second before she eventually fell to the world No. 29, 7-6, 6-4.[52]

In Dalian in 2013, Chong qualified for the maindraw in women's doubles together with Katherine Ip.[53]

Asian Championships

[edit]

Chong competed in women's doubles partnering Tiffany Wu and reached the quarterfinals in singles at the Toyota Asian Championships 2013 held in Bangkok, Thailand.[54]

Asian Youth Games

[edit]

Held in Nanjing in 2013, Chong reached the round of 16 in both women's singles and mixed-doubles partnering Andrew Li.[55]

Personal life

[edit]

Chong was born in Long Island, New York. At age 3, she relocated to Hong Kong where her formative years of schooling and development in tennis took shape. Her earliest experience with the sport came in the form of once-a-week private lessons at a local tennis club, but genuine enthusiasm did not surface until the coach enrolled her for organized tennis with the Hong Kong Tennis Association (now HKCTA).

An Elite Training Grant (ETG) recipient,[56] her training is primarily based at the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI) in Shatin. She is currently coached by former Indian Davis Cupper and 2010 Asian Games bronze medallist, Karan Rastogi, while her physical coach is Romain Deffet, former personal trainer to Li Na, Daniela Hantuchova, and Peng Shuai. In March 2019, Chong, together with fellow Fed Cup teammate, Cody Wong, were the first players selected to the EFG HKTA Tour Team, a three-year financial commitment by the EFG Young Athletes Foundation (YAF) to support local talent.[57]

In 2020, Chong was one of two local sportswomen featured in the October issue of Prestige Hong Kong magazine.[58]

Endorsements and sponsorships

[edit]

Named its first-ever Tennis Ambassador by The Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club in 2019, the club providse financial assistance to the 23-year-old. Together, she will help the club promote tennis locally. "It's a huge honor and great opportunity for me. I'm looking forward to spending more time at the club, share my love for the sport, while striving towards my goals on tour," Chong said.

Currently, Chong is sponsored by K-Swiss (shoe and apparel) and Wilson (racquet).

Awards

[edit]
  • Cathay Pacific 2019 Hong Kong Sports Stars Award nominee[59]
  • ITA Collegiate All-Star Team 2015-18[60]
  • Division III Woman Athlete of the Year Award 2018[61]
  • Division III ITA National Senior Player of the Year 2018[62]
  • Division III ITA All-America, women's singles 2015-18[63][64][65]
  • Division III ITA All-America, women's doubles 2015-18[66][67][68]
  • Division III ITA National Rookie Player of the Year 2015[69]
  • NESCAC Player of the Year 2015, 2017-2018[70]
  • NESCAC Rookie of the Year 2015[71]
  • DIII Honda Athlete of the Year Nominee 2015-18[72]
  • ITA James O'Hara Sargent Sportsmanship Award 2015[73]
  • Jones Award 2017 and 2018 - Most Outstanding Sportswoman of the Year at Wesleyan University
  • International Christian School Nehemiah Award 2014

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Original ITF profile
  2. ^ "Eudice Chong Overview". International Tennis Federation. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  3. ^ "HKTA Annual Report 2006" (PDF). Hong Kong Tennis Association. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  4. ^ "HKTA Annual Report 2008" (PDF). Hong Kong Tennis Association. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  5. ^ "2018-19 Women's Tennis Roster". Stanford University. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
  6. ^ "HKTA Annual Report 2012" (PDF). Hong Kong Tennis Association. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  7. ^ "18 & Under School Girls' Open Singles Championship". CRC Open 2010. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  8. ^ "18 & Under School Girls' Open Singles Championship". CRC Open 2011. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  9. ^ "HKTA Annual Report 2012" (PDF). Hong Kong Tennis Association. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  10. ^ "HKTA Annual Report 2013" (PDF). Hong Kong Tennis Association. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  11. ^ "Eudice Chong Overview". International Tennis Federation. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  12. ^ Andy Yanne (2018-06-09). "Eudice Chong nets unprecedented fourth straight NCAA DIII women's singles crown". tennishk.org. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  13. ^ Colette Lewis (2018-05-26). "Wesleyan's Chong Wins Fourth Consecutive Division III Singles Title". Zoo Tennis. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  14. ^ "Eudice Chong Named Division III Honda Athlete of the Year". Wesleyan Athletics. 2018-06-13. Archived from the original on 2019-05-20. Retrieved 2020-03-28.
  15. ^ "Past DIII Woman Athlete of the Year Winners". CWSA. Retrieved 2020-03-28.
  16. ^ "Eudice Chong Named Division III Honda Athlete of the Year". Wesleyan Athletics. 2018-06-13. Archived from the original on 2019-05-20. Retrieved 2020-03-28.
  17. ^ "Past DIII Woman Athlete of the Year Winners". CWSA. Retrieved 2020-03-28.
  18. ^ "Eudice Chong of Wesleyan (CT) University Named DIII Honda Athlete of the Year". CWSA. 2018-06-13. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
  19. ^ "Eudice Chong of Wesleyan (CT) University Named DIII Honda Athlete of the Year". CWSA. 2018-06-13. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
  20. ^ "Eudice Chong '18 Named DIII Athlete of the Year". The Wesleyan Argus. Retrieved 2020-03-28.
  21. ^ "ITA All-Star Team". We Are College Tennis. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  22. ^ "Eudice Chong of Wesleyan (CT) University Named DIII Honda Athlete of the Year". CWSA. 2018-06-13. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
  23. ^ Intercollegiate Tennis Association (2017-10-11). "Eudice Chong feature film". YouTube. Retrieved 2020-03-28.
  24. ^ "Player Bio: Amber Liu". Gostanford.com. 2013-04-17. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  25. ^ "Past DIII Woman Athlete of the Year Winners". CWSA. Retrieved 2020-03-28.
  26. ^ "Malcolm Chace Biography". International Tennis Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  27. ^ "Georgia Gwinnett, Wesleyan Win Men's And Women's Oracle Cup Doubles Championships". Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  28. ^ "Wesleyan Duo of Chong and Yu Sweep Division III ITA Oracle Cup Finals". NESCAC. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  29. ^ "2015 USTA/ITA National Small College Championships" (PDF). United States Tennis Association. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  30. ^ Cassandra Day (2018-06-11). "State-of-art Wesleyan tennis courts opening a point of joint pride for college, Middletown". The Middletown Press. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  31. ^ Cynthia Rockwell (2018-06-11). "Eudice Chong '18, Coach Mike Fried: A Scholar-Athlete Program for Champions". wesleyan.edu. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  32. ^ Cynthia Rockwell (2018-06-11). "Eudice Chong '18, Coach Mike Fried: A Scholar-Athlete Program for Champions". wesleyan.edu. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  33. ^ "HKSI Annual Report 2019/20". Hong Kong Sports Institute. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  34. ^ "HKTA Annual Report 2012" (PDF). Hong Kong Tennis Association. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  35. ^ "HKTA Annual Report 2013" (PDF). Hong Kong Tennis Association. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  36. ^ "HKTA Annual Report 2014" (PDF). Hong Kong Tennis Association. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  37. ^ "HKTA Annual Report 2015" (PDF). Hong Kong Tennis Association. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  38. ^ "HKTA Annual Report 2017" (PDF). Hong Kong Tennis Association. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  39. ^ "HKTA Annual Report 2018" (PDF). Hong Kong Tennis Association. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  40. ^ "HKTA Annual Report 2019" (PDF). Hong Kong Tennis Association. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  41. ^ Andy Yanne (2020-11-30). "Maiden victory for Brian Yeung, Eudice Chong at Prudential HK Nationals". tennishk.org. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  42. ^ "Daily Round-Up (9 Oct)". Hong Kong Tennis Open. 2018-10-09. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  43. ^ "Daily Round-Up (9 Oct)". Hong Kong Tennis Open. 2018-10-09. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  44. ^ "Doubles Draw". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  45. ^ "Sramkova captures maiden title, defeats Siegemund in Hua Hin". WTATennis. 22 September 2024.
  46. ^ "2024 Hong Kong; For second year running, Hon defeats Chong in Hong Kong first round". 28 October 2024.
  47. ^ "Eudice Chong Titles". International Tennis Federation. Retrieved 2021-02-07.
  48. ^ Andy Yanne (2018-08-26). "Quarterfinal showings for Zhang Ling, Eudice Chong in singles and Brian Yeung, Zhang Ling in mixed doubles". tennishk.org. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
  49. ^ "HKTA Annual Report 2014" (PDF). Hong Kong Tennis Association. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  50. ^ Andy Yanne (2019-07-15). "Eudice Chong medals in historic singles; Tallies second bronze with Maggie Ng in doubles". tennishk.org. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
  51. ^ "HKTA Annual Report 2017" (PDF). Hong Kong Tennis Association. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  52. ^ "HKTA Annual Report 2017" (PDF). Hong Kong Tennis Association. Retrieved 2021-02-07.
  53. ^ "HKTA Annual Report 2013" (PDF). Hong Kong Tennis Association. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  54. ^ "HKTA Annual Report 2013" (PDF). Hong Kong Tennis Association. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  55. ^ "HKTA Annual Report 2013" (PDF). Hong Kong Tennis Association. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  56. ^ "ETG Recipient List". Hong Kong Sports Institute. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
  57. ^ "EFG Young Athletes Foundation commits to providing development funding for touring players" (PDF). EFG Bank. 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
  58. ^ Matthew Scott (2020-10-23). "Golfer Tiffany Chan and Tennis Player Eudice Chong Share About Taking on the World's Best". Prestige Hong Kong. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  59. ^ "Cathay Pacific 2019 Hong Kong Sports Stars Award". hkolympic.org. Retrieved 2021-02-07.
  60. ^ "ITA All-Star Team". We Are College Tennis. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
  61. ^ "Past DIII Woman Athlete of the Year Winners". CWSA. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
  62. ^ "2018 Division III National Award Winners". ITA Tennis. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
  63. ^ "2015 DIII All-Americans". ITA Tennis. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
  64. ^ "2016 DIII All-Americans". ITA Tennis. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
  65. ^ "2018 DIII All-Americans". ITA Tennis. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
  66. ^ "2015 DIII All-Americans". ITA Tennis. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
  67. ^ "2016 DIII All-Americans". ITA Tennis. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
  68. ^ "2018 DIII All-Americans". ITA Tennis. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
  69. ^ "ITA Announces 2015 Division III National Award Winners". ITA Tennis. Archived from the original on 2017-06-22. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
  70. ^ "ITA Announces 2015 Division III National Award Winners". ITA Tennis. Archived from the original on 2017-06-22. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
  71. ^ "ITA Announces 2015 Division III National Award Winners". ITA Tennis. Archived from the original on 2017-06-22. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
  72. ^ Desmond Conner (2017-06-13). "Wesleyan's Chong Will Focus On Tennis Career After Graduation Next Year". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  73. ^ "Top Seeds Prevail On Day Three Of USTA/ITA National Small College Championships". ITA Tennis. Archived from the original on 2017-09-22. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
[edit]