Hong Kong’s Tang Ming Hong picked up his maiden PSA World Tour title
today after seeing off experienced Malaysian Elvinn Keo in an exciting
five-game thriller in the final of the Old Chang Kee Marigold Singapore
Open held at the Kallang Squash Centre.
Ming Hong earned his place in the final after 3-0 wins over tournament
wildcard Samuel Kang and Malaysia’s Addeen Idrakie, sandwiched either
side of a five-game battle with James Huang.
On the other side of the draw, third seed Elvinn Keo swept through to
the final after losing just one game, against Muhammad Hannan in round
one.
Keo dominated the opener in the final to go a game ahead, taking
advantage of a litany of errors from Ming Hong to pull away from 5-3 up.
Ming Hong refocused though and was victorious in the second as he
overturned a 7-5 deficit to draw level.
Both players then took a game apiece, before fatigue began to set into
the legs of Keo in the decider, enabling Ming Hong to wrap up an 11-3,
9-11, 11-3, 8-11, 11-4 triumph to break his PSA World Tour title duck.
“I’m so happy and satisfied with this result,” said Ming Hong.
“Just a week ago, I was carrying a slight injury to my leg, but I
persevered and kept on training. To have this result gives me a lot of
satisfaction. After seven years of being on the Tour, winning this feels
like all the work done has finally paid off.”
