Australian Open: Chung Secures Semifinal Spot in Win Over Sandgren

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MELBOURNE, Australia — Hyeon Chung became the first South Korean man to reach the semifinals of a Grand Slam singles tournament, beating Tennys Sandgren, 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-3, on Wednesday afternoon.

He awaits the winner of the Wednesday evening quarterfinal between second-seeded Roger Federer and 19th-seeded Tomas Berdych.

Chung, 21, won a showcase for young ATP talent last November in Milan, and has solidified himself as the leader of his generation with each successive win at this tournament. He beat last year’s quarterfinalist Mischa Zverev in the first round, Sydney International champion Daniil Medvedev in the second round, fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev in the third round, and six-time champion Novak Djokovic in the fourth round.

“I’m just trying to keep focused,” Chung said in his on-court interview.

Sandgren, ranked 97th, was, on paper, the least daunting opponent 58th-ranked Chung had faced here. But high on confidence after wins over fifth-seeded Dominic Thiem and ninth-seeded Stan Wawrinka, Sandgren battled toe-to-toe with Chung throughout the match. He served for the second set up 5-3, and fended off four match points before Chung finally converted a fifth.

“In the last game 40-love up, I started thinking what I have to do in the ceremony, something like that,” Chung said.

Chung took control of the match, ultimately, returning Sandgren’s second serve, against which he won 55 percent of points.

There are no ATP tournaments in South Korea, but crowds at what is billed as “the Grand Slam of Asia-Pacific” have embraced the previously little-known Chung, with many waving Korean flags and other signs in Chung’s native language. Uncomfortable speaking English in his first few years on tour, Chung has grown more comfortable with the language, and introduced his family in his box after the match. When he mentioned his mother, she formed a heart shape with her arms.

Chung becomes just the second unseeded men’s singles semifinalist at a Grand Slam since two reached the semifinals of Wimbledon in 2008. The other was on Tuesday: Kyle Edmund, ranked 49th, who will play against sixth-seeded Marin Cilic in Thursday’s first semifinal.