By Kwon Ji-youn
Korean tennis wunderkind Chung Hyeon defeated Facundo Arguello 6-3, 7-5 to advance to the second round of the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston, Texas, Wednesday.
This is the first time the 18-year-old has made it into the second round of an Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) singles tournament.
A day earlier, he edged Germany’s Mischa Zverev 6-3, 7-5 in the qualifying final. Chung, the current world No. 118, will go up next against Spain’s Fernando Verdasco, whose opponent, Italian Paolo Lorenzi, retired late in their first-round match with a leg injury.
Verdasco, ranked 30th, has six ATP tour wins under his belt.
“(Chung) plays with good intensity and at 18, he’s a very good player,” Verdasco told ATPWorldTour.com.
“I see he’s winning matches, and he’s just one more good player. I will try my best to go through to the quarter-finals.”
Chung is the first teenager to qualify in Houston since 15-year-old Ryan Harrison in 2008, and the sixth to qualify for an ATP World Tour main draw in 2015.
Such momentum has given Chung 20 ranking points, which may push him into the top 115. This may grant him straight entry into the 2015 French Open, set for May 25-June 1. The top 104 players, excluding wind card entries and qualifiers, are allowed immediate entry. Taking into account injuries and absences, the top 110 will likely be granted straight entry. Should Chung advance to the quarterfinals, he will secure 45 ranking points.