SEOUL • Rising tennis star Chung Hyeon believes that he is on course to become South Korea's first tennis Grand Slam champion, as he recovers from his remarkable but gruelling run to the Australian Open semi-finals last month.
Chung, 21, was the surprise package in Melbourne as he stormed his way to the last four - beating former world No. 1 Novak Djokovic along the way - but had to retire while trailing defending champion Roger Federer 1-6, 2-5 because of painful blisters. He was the first South Korean player to advance that far in a major tournament.
Federer went on to win the event - the Swiss master's 20th Grand Slam - but Chung said yesterday that he has set his sights on winning his first.
"I've not set any specific target (for the French Open) but I will be able to win a Grand Slam tournament some day," he said.
Chung uploaded a horrific picture of his blistered foot after the Federer clash on his Instagram account, sparking a flood of messages from fans praising him for his courage.
"I've seldom played so many games unremittingly and my feet reached their limits," he said.
"My doctor says the blistered feet are curing well due to my young age and I will be able to start training next week."
Chung added that he was already looking forward to the next Grand Slam, the French Open in late May, which is unique among the four major events for using clay courts.
"My performance on clay courts was good last year," he told journalists at a press conference.
His Instagram followers increased tenfold to more than 100,000 during the Australian Open.
"The number will soon reach a million, I hope," he said jokingly.
Chung's unexpected run in the first Grand Slam of the year has drawn new fans to the sport in his homeland, where tennis lags far behind golf and baseball in the popularity stakes.
South Korea President Moon Jae In issued a statement congratulating Chung for writing a "new chapter in South Korean sports history" and the player was welcomed home by hundreds of fans at Incheon International Airport last Sunday evening.
"I didn't expect this many people to be here, I must have done something big," he said of his reception.
Chung rose from 58th in the world to 29th when the latest rankings were released on Monday, the highest position ever achieved by a South Korean player.
Besides aiming for a maiden Grand Slam title, he has also set a target for himself to be among the world's best.
"I really want a place in the top 10 now," Yonhap News quoted Chung as saying. "I'm setting my sights on something high and going after it."
The Korean Tennis Association is planning to pour more resources into the game to capitalise on Chung's exploits, while sales of tennis equipment in South Korea surged last week.
"Tennis isn't a popular sport here right now but I want it to become popular," Chung added.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
