Chung shocks Djokovic, Sandgren upsets Thiem in AO 2018

Speed Post News Network

Patna : Unseeded Hyeon Chung, 21, South Korea, sent six time former champion and Number 14 seed Novak Djokovic, 30, Serbia, packing out of the Australian Open (AO) 2018 in a massive upset in the fourth round on January 22, 2018, becoming the first South Korean tennis player to reach the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament. Chung, a NextGen ATP Champion in 2017, is ranked 58 in the ATP rankings.

Chung stunned his childhood idol Djokovic in straight sets 7-6, 7-5, 7-6 in the fourth round to enter the quarterfinals of AO where he will meet unseeded and World Number 97 Tennys Sangren, 26, USA, who showed the exit door to World Number 5 and fifth seed Dominic Thiem, Austria, in a five-set thriller  2-6, 6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3. Sandgren had earlier upset 2014 AO Champion and Number 9 seed Stan Wawrinka, 32, Switzerland, in straight sets in the second round.

Chung, who trains in Bangkok, Thailand, and had upset World Number 4 Alexander Zverev in the third round of AO 2018, played incredible tennis taking advantage of Djokovic’s elbow niggle. Djokovic described Chung’s performance as amazing after the match. Chung played flawless tennis. Djokovic had in the past lost in straight sets to only Marat Safin, Russia, and Roger Federer, Switzerland, at the AO.

With Djokovic and Thiem crashing out of the AO 2018, two quarterfinals spot has been bagged by two underdogs.

In the women’s section, World Number 1 Simona Halep, Rumania, sailed into the quarterfinals crushing unseeded Naomi Osaka, Japan, 6-3, 6-2, in the fourth round.