NEW PRIDE OF ASIA
South Korean Chung keeps making monumental achievements in Melbourne
HISTORY-MAKING Chung Hyeon became the first South Korean to reach a Grand Slam semi-final and the lowest-ranked player in 14 years to get to the last four at the Australian Open yesterday.
Ranked 58, he needed six match points before completing a clearcut 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 win over unseeded American Tennys Sandgren at the Rod Laver Arena.
He will face defending champion Roger Federer in tomorrow’s semi-final.
In beating Sandgren, Chung, 21, became the first South Korean to make the last four of a Grand Slam and the lowest-ranked men’s semi-finalist in Melbourne since Russia’s Marat Safin (world No 86) in 2004.
The rising star joins Briton Kyle Edmund as the first unseeded men’s semi-finalists in Melbourne since Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 2008.
His achievement comes after his monumental wins over sixtime champion Novak Djokovic and world No.4 Alexander Zverev, to herald his arrival to big-time tennis.
“I’m really surprised to make the semis, I beat Sascha (Zverev), Novak and other good players. I have never played in the second week at a Grand Slam,” he said.
Chung said he was inspired by Japan’s Kei Nishikori, the 2014 US Open finalist, who blazed the trail for Asian tennis.
“All Asian players look to Kei and we are trying to follow him. He’s the pride of Asian players,” he said.
Nicknamed “The Professor” due to his trademark thick whiterimmed glasses, he showed the benefit of his improved net play despite preferring to operate from the baseline.
“I’m just trying to work on playing on the net. In the pre-season and all the time when I practice, ” said Chung, who won 21 points off 27 trips to the net against Sandgren.
“If I go to the net, I can save more energy.”
Chung, who won the 2015 ATP Most Improved Player award, jumped out of the blocks with an early break before taking the opening set in 37 minutes, serving at a high 85 per cent.
His play from the baseline took reaction time away from the American and helped him control the points.
Chung broke in the opening game of the second set with an exquisite backhand across the net clipping the line.
But Sandgren began to get more into the contest and broke back in the fourth when Chung’s forehand was wide.
Sandgren broke again in the eighth and was serving for the second set before he was broken with a netted forehand.
Chung maintained his level in the tiebreaker getting to set point before he forced a Sandgren forehand long.
Chung broke in the fourth game of the final set before he got home on his sixth match point.