Hyeon Chung, former world no. 19 and the Australian Open semi-finalist, is back on the winning way for the first time in nearly five years! The Korean entered the M25 Takasaki Futures in Japan with a wild card and scored two wins for a place in the quarter-final.
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Unranked, Hyeon is starting from rock bottom, returning to Futures for the first time in a decade and hoping to reach Challengers and ATP events if he stays healthy. Chung claimed the 2017 NextGen ATP Finals crown and backed it with the Australian Open semi-final in January 2018.
The young wrapped up the year in the top-30, but his body could not endure the efforts. He missed over five months of action in 2019 and took another break in 2020 due to constant back issues. Chung did not compete between September 2020 and April 2023, undergoing a couple of surgeries but keeping his motivation.
The Korean entered five Challengers last spring without success, failing to score a win and losing in the second round of the Wimbledon qualifications.
The injury-prone player took another break from tennis and returned to action at the beginning of this month in Sapporo.
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Hyeon did not play well in his first match in 14 months, suffering a 7-5, 6-1 defeat to the 16-year-old Hiromasa Koyama. Chung made another try this week in Takasaki, and it's good for him so far. Former world no. 19 kicked off the action against a qualifier Yamato Sueoka, scoring a 6-1, 6-3 win in an hour and 21 minutes.
Thus, he notched his first main-draw triumph since beating Milos Raonic in Vienna in October 2019! The former Major semi-finalist outplayed his rival on serve and return, taking 17 points more and controlling the scoreboard.
The more experienced player lost serve once, turning 57% of the return points into five breaks from seven opportunities. The Korean held at 30 in the first game of the match and drew the rival's mistake in the next one for break points.
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Hyeon Chung is enjoying his best week since 2019!
Former world no. 19 welcomed a backhand error from Sueoka, delivering an early break and holding with service winners in the next one for a 3-0 advantage.
The Japanese added his name to the scoreboard with an ace in game four and grabbed the opening two points on the return in the next one. Hyeon remained composed and clinched the following four points, holding with a forced error for 4-1.
The Korean attacked on the return in the sixth game and caused the rival's mistake, delivering another break and opening a 5-1 gap. Former world no. 19 welcomed Yamato's forehand error in the seventh game, holding and taking the opener 6-1.
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The Japanese denied two break points in the first game of the second set and wasted a game point before losing serve after a backhand mistake. Chung moved 2-0 in front before playing a loose service game, hitting a double fault and suffering a break at love, bringing his rival back to 2-2.
Sueoka took the fifth game with a powerful serve, moving in front and gaining a boost. The more experienced player lost the ground a bit, facing a break point in game six and denying it, holding with a forehand winner and remaining on the positive side.
Hyeon stepped in on the return at 3-3 and grabbed a break at love after an extended rally, moving in front and landing a forehand winner in the next one after a deuce for a 5-3 advantage. Sueoka served to stay in the match in game nine and faced three match points and a forced error.
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Chung seized the second with another fine attack, delivering his first main draw win in almost five years. The Korean faced Hikaru Shiraishi in the second round and earned a 6-3, 6-3 victory in an hour and 57 minutes, booking a place in the quarter-final.
The more experienced player lost serve two times and took charge on the return, turning 53% of the points into five breaks from nine opportunities.
The 5th seed struggled behind the second serve, giving his best for almost two hours but falling in straight sets.
Hikaru hit a double fault in the second game of the match and sprayed a forehand error to fall 2-0 behind. The home player pulled the break back in game three after Chung's poor volley and held at 30 in the next one to lock the result at 2-2.
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Hyeon held from 0-30 in the fifth game and faced more issues two games later. The Korean stayed composed and grabbed four consecutive points for a hold and a 4-3 lead. The former top-20 player secured a break in the eighth game and wrapped up the opener with a service winner in the next one for 6-3 and a boost.
Shiraishi missed a volley in the third game of the second set, losing serve and finding himself in a challenging position. Chung fired a forehand winner in the sixth game for 4-2 and delivered another break in the next one after the rival's backhand error.
Hyeon served for the win in game eight and played loose shots, getting broken and keeping his rival in contention. However, the more experienced player earned two match points on the return at 5-3 with a forehand crosscourt winner and welcomed Hikaru's backhand error on the second for another fine victory and a place in the last eight.
