SEMIFINAL NUMBER TWO: [54] Hyeon Chung (KOR) vs. [65] Daniil Medvedev (RUS)
This is the final tournament for eight young players to end their 2017 season on a positive note. The second semifinal was contested by two players who had never played each other before and nerves were a factor. The Russian player, taller by four inches, had the bigger serve; however, Chung compensated for the slight height disadvantage by being the better mover. Which would play the bigger role in this first meeting between these two Next Gen stars?
At first it seemed that movement would play the bigger role; however, that was perhaps enhanced because of nerves. Medvedev got off to a horrible start and with the sets only going to four games, it was practically impossible for him to regain his footing with the Korean playing such clean and focused tennis.
Things looked to be just about over with Chung leading by two sets and an early break in the third; however, with his back against the wall, the young Russian came up with some of his best tennis. He broke back to force a tiebreak. Medvedev fought off a late charge from Chung to regain control on the tiebreak and won it 7-4 to win the third set 4-3.
The fourth set started off the same as the third, Chung got the early break only to lose it on his next service game; however, this time, the disappointment lingered and he was broken again to give Medvedev a 3-1 lead. Now the Korean was the one succumbing to nerves. Medvedev won the fourth set to force a deciding fifth set.
It was too much of an obstacle for the Russian to overcome and he had nothing left in the fifth set. Chung fought off the four breaks he faced in his first game and that seemed to deflate the Russian, who quietly faded away. The Korean won 4-1, 4-1, 3(4)-4, 1-4, 4-0. He will play the number one seed, Andrey Rublev, an opponent he knows well.
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