"Korean pop" already refers to a global music phenomenon, but the term may soon be applied to the potent ground strokes of Korean teen tennis sensation Hyeon Chung.
The 19-year-old has been rising steadily in the rankings through the spring and summer, playing especially well in his home-country Challenger events, winning at Busan and reaching the final at Seoul.
Entering his debut US Open, he was at a career-high rank of 69, and in the first round, he looked especially mature and self-possessed as he dismantled No. 100 James Duckworth of Australia, 6-3, 6-1, 6-2, remarkably making only one unforced error and hitting 10 aces. Duckworth was constantly off-balance in attempting to deal with Chung's well-paced and sharply angled groundstrokes, and Duckworth's choice to take a bathroom break after the second set failed to rattle Chung, as he closed out the third set in 36 minutes.
The former Wimbledon junior finalist from 2013, where he defeated Nick Kyrgios and Borna Coric, is the highest-ranked male player from Korea since Hyung Taik-Lee reached No. 36 in 2007.
One distinctive feature about him is the stylish pair of prescription glasses he wears on court.
With his next opponent, Stan Wawrinka, looking sluggish in a first-round win, Chung may have the chance to surprise him on a big stage.
