Ever since Hyeon Chung lost his first set of the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals against Denis Shapovalov, 1-4, the South Korean has been cruising. And thanks to his performance, he has made history.
Chung defeated top-seeded Andrey Rublev, 4-0, 4-1, 4-3(1), on Wednesday to become the first ever semi-finalist at the year-end finale for the best 21-and-under players in the world.
“The score looks easy, but it was not easy on the court. Every point was a fight,” Chung said. "I’m trying to play my best, focus on every point."
Thanks to a stunning performance against the No. 37-ranked player in the Emirates ATP Rankings, Chung has guaranteed his spot in the final four in Milan, and can clinch the top spot in Group A with a victory against Italian wild card Gianluigi Quinzi on Thursday.
It was not the first time that Chung has played Rublev, either, rallying from a set down to defeat the Russian just months ago in the second round of the Winston-Salem Open, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1.
"We had played before,' Chung said. "So we knew how to play each other. I was just trying to focus on every ball.”
In the best of 5 shorter-set format, the right-hander did not have it as complicated. After saving two break points — including a no-ad deuce point — in the opening game of the match, Chung broke Rublev in the Russian’s first four service games. And given the innovative format being used in Milan, that was enough to push the South Korean to a two-set lead.
Chung served for the match at 3-2 in the third set, but the flashy Russian found his best tennis just in time to force a tie-break. It was not enough, however, as the World No. 54 raced to a 6/0 lead, and took his second chance to close out the match without a problem.
While the scoreline may have indicated that it was easy, Rublev made only 14 unforced errors in the 68-minute match. Chung was simply too solid, frustrating his opponent into rushing points, taking him outside of his comfort zone. Whenever Rublev seemed in control of a point, Chung would use his speed to make him play even more shots.
Rublev is not eliminated from semi-final contention just yet. On Thursday, he will play Denis Shapovalov. The Canadian faces Quinzi on Wednesday evening.