New World Ranking in Tennis

Venise Chan Wing-Yau (陳詠悠) took the titles, in August 2005, in the Girls’ Singles and Doubles events at the International Tennis Federation Grade 4 Chinese Taipei International Junior Championships. This moved her junior world rank from 164th to 83rd - the best achievement ever for Hong Kong tennis in the world junior ranking.

The 20-years-old Chan started playing tennis when she was 7. Now studying at the University of Washington, she is playing professionally. He current rankings are - WTA (Singles), 904; NCAA (Singles): 25; Career-High WTA (singles): 476.

Career Highlights:

► Together with Zhang Ling, Lam Po Kuen, and Jessica Yang constituted the first-ever HK contingent to compete in the women's team event at the 11th All China Games where they placed 8th overall out of 23 participating teams (Jul 2009).

► Defeated No. 1 seed Seiko Okamoto (WTA 402) to reach quarterfinals of US$10,000 ITF Women's Circuit event in Shenzhen, China (Jul 2009).

► 2008-09 Preseason NCAA Ranking No. 28 (4 Sep 2008). Won both women's top flight singles and doubles titles at San Diego State University Fall Classic II (Nov 2008). First player from University of Washington to win second career Pac-10 Player of the Week Honours (19-25 Jan 2009). Defeated Mari Andersson (Berkeley) at No. 1 singles during ITA National Team Indoors Qualifying (Jan 2009). Beat Jana Juricova (Berkeley) and Hilary Barte (Stanford) back-to-back to complete a rare weekend "Bay Area Sweep" at No. 1 singles (1 Mar 2009). Beat Yasmin Schnack (UCLA) and Sarah Fansler (USC) to sweep the powerhouses from S. Cal at No. 1 singles (Apr 4-5). Career-high NCAA singles ranking No. 18 (20 Apr 2009). Career-high NCAA doubles ranking No. 28 (19 Feb 2009). All-Pac-10 First Team Selection (30 Apr 2009). Trailing 5-2 in the third set, beat 23rd-ranked Maria Sanchez, 6-4 3-6, 7-6(2), at No. 1 singles to clinch 4-3 win over 7th-ranked Pac-10 champions USC that put UW in NCAA's Sweet 16. At-large selection to compete at NCAA D1 Singles Championship for the second straight year. Ends sophomore year ranked No. 25 on Campbell/ITA Division I Singles Final Rankings (29 May 2009). One of eight players selected to Pac-10 All-Academic First Team (Jun 1).

► Reached fifth career pro circuit final at US$10,000 ITF Women's Circuit event at Khonkaen, Thailand (Sep 2008).

► 2007-08 Accepted to the University of Washington, Seattle, on full tennis scholarship (Sep 2007). Started exclusively at No. 1 singles in freshman year. Won Husky Invitational in both top flight singles and doubles (Nov 2007). ITA Division I Women Northwest Regional Ranking No. 20 (7 Dec 2007). Boasted wins at No. 1 singles over Suzie Babos (Berkeley), Nadia Abdala (ASU), and Lindsey Nelson (USC). Pac-10 Player of the Week (Feb 11-17). Debuts at No. 41 in NCAA Rankings (4 Mar 2008); Season-High No. 30 (16 Mar 2008). Named ITA Northwest Player to Watch; At-large selection to compete at NCAA Division 1 Singles Championship (May 2008). Ends rookie season ranked No. 37; Named 2008 ITA Scholar-Athlete.

► Qualified for the maindraw of a US$50,000 ITF Women's Circuit event for the first time, reaching R16 of C50 Guangzhou (Jun 2007).

► As the team's No. 1 singles player, led Hong Kong to sixth overall at Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Asia/Oceania Zone Group I Qualifying in Christchurch, New Zealand. Against Uzbekistan in the round robins, defeated former world No. 16 Iroda Tulyaganova (WTA 130 on 16 Apr 2007), 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, to seal victory for HK. Also defeated New Zealand's most decorated Fed Cup player, Leanne Baker (WTA 270), in Hong Kong's 2-1 loss to NZL in 5th - 6th Place Playoff (Apr 2007).

► Finished 2006 as the No. 1 ranked woman in addition to being the No. 1 ranked junior in Hong Kong.

► Won second career ITF Women's Circuit singles title at C10 Bangkok 1 (23 Jul 2006).

► Selected to the ITF 18U International Junior A Team for an eight-week European Tour that included participation at the Grade A Italian Open, Roland Garros, and The Junior Championships, Wimbledon (May-Jul 2006).

► Fed Cup debut at the 2006 Asia/Oceania Zone Group II Qualifying Event in Seoul; Won both rubbers aganist Singapore and Kazakshtan at No. 1 singles to help pave the way for Hong Kong's promotion to Group I in 2007 (Apr 2006).

► Girls' Singles Runner-up, GB1 Asian Closed Junior Tennis Championships, Korea (Apr 2006).

► Won ITF Women's US$10,000 Manila 1 and finished runner-up in US$10,000 Manila 2 in pro circuit debut (Nov 2005).

► In her maiden tournament against ranked professionals, reached women's singles quarterfinals at the Asian Championships 2005 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan (Oct 2005).

► Went 7-0 at number two singles to pace the Hong Kong Junior Fed Cup Team (Girls' 16U) to a third place finish at the Asia/Oceania Qualifying in Bangkok that secured the territory's first-ever qualification to the World Finals since the inception of the event in 1985 (May 2005).

► Number one singles player for the Hong Kong team at the 2003 World Junior Tennis Asia/Oceania Qualifying (Girls' 14U) in Melbourne, Australia, and at the 2004 Junior Fed Cup Asia/Oceania Qualifying (Girls' 16U) in Nonthaburi, Thailand.

► Ranked No. 1 in Girls' Singles in Hong Kong – 12U (1998), 14U (2000), 16U (2003), 18U (2003-2006).

► At age 12 yrs 318 days, became the youngest female since Paulette Moreno in 1977 to contest a local major in Hong Kong when she reached the Ladies' Open Singles final at the 2002 Hong Kong National Tennis Championships.