CHUNG IS CHAMPION
Beats top seed Russian Rublev to claim Next Gen ATP title
Milan, Nov. 12: South Korea’s Hyeon Chung kept his cool to upset topseeded Russian Andrey Rublev and claim his first title at the Next Gen ATP finals in Milan on Saturday.
The bespectacled 21year-old rallied from a set down to see off Rublev, the world number 37 who reached the US Open quarter-finals this year, 34 (5/7), 4-3 (7/2), 4-2, 4-2 in just under two hours.
Chung, ranked 54, sealed victory on his third match point after Rublev had saved two at 3-1 down in the fourth set of the final at the season-ending, eight-player tournament here.
“After losing the first set, and down one break in the second, I was really nervous, really angry, but I tried to have a poker face,” said Chung.
“I’m trying to create an image of being really
strong mentally and I starting playing better and better,” he said.
The former student of the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida — who turned to a mental coach to help him deal with the pressure of tennis — received $390,000 dollars (335,000 euros) but
no world ranking points for winning the under-21 tournament.
Chung revealed that his mind training had helped him in Milan, just days after he had suffered a first-round exit in Paris to Rafael Nadal.
“The coach says all the time, first try to stay calm
and in control, to have a chance to play better and better.”
It was Chung’s third victory over Rublev. He beat the Russian earlier in the week and also at WinstonSalem on the ATP Tour in August.
The Russian said he had let his emotions take control. “I was playing much better than him. I was dictating the match, and then just because I let my emotion out and everything changed, because Chung, he was always there,” said Rublev. “He was always focused. He was always in the match.
“No matter if something goes wrong, he was still fighting. And me, from a little thing, I just lose my control and that’s it. I just lost because of my head.
“Mentally he’s really strong.”
The sixth-seeded Chung won all three matches in group play, including a straight-sets win over Rublev, and defeated Russian Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals.
The momentum swung his way in the third set as Rublev’s frustration broke through at his inability to wear down Chung.
— AFP