“For the next slam (French Open), I will try to win it because I know all the players now and I think I belong with the best.”
CHRISTIAN DIDIER CHIN, National tennis player
CHRISTIAN Didier Chin has confidently set his sights on winning the French Open Junior Championships in May, following his encouraging performance at the ongoing Australian Open.
The Sabahan attracted attention on his junior Grand Slam debut by reaching the second round of both the boys’ singles and doubles events at Melbourne Park.
“It was a good tournament. I lost in the second round in both singles and doubles, but I fought really well here and I have gained a lot of valuable experience,” said the 17-year-old, who will play in next month’s Yeltsin Cup in Kazan.
“For the next Slam (French Open), I will try to win it because I know all the players now and I think I belong with the best.
“I have to fight hard to find my way into the top 10 next,” said Christian, the World No 45 on the ITF junior rankings.
National coach Adam Jaya said: “Christian can go far in the sport.”
“Christian can grind aggressively from inside the baseline, and he has the power and mental toughness to go for his shots.
“The youngster is also aggressive with his serve and volley, and covers the court well.
“The most important thing, however, is that he believes he belongs with the big boys and has the heart of a champion.
“At this level, everybody has the strokes but what separates them is their self-belief. This is key in world class tennis,” he said.
Adam added that Christian needs to continue on improving his game as he cannot afford to lose ground on his rivals.
“The margin between winning and losing is very small at the highest level,” Adam added.