Hong Seong Chan reigns supreme at 2016 ITF Junior Masters
Korean No. 2 seed Hong Seong Chan was the cream of the crop at the ITF Junior Masters in Chengdu as he claimed the men’s title with a 7-5 6-3 win over top seed Casper Ruud.
The 18-year-old follows in the footsteps of Andrey Rublev who won the inaugural title in Chengdu last year.
Hong came into the competition in great form, having won 20 of the 21 matches he has contested in 2016, all of which have come on the ITF Pro Circuit. His wins in the opening two rounds maintained his unbeaten record and he was in no mood to relinquish it on a sunny Centre Court with a few thousand fans in attendance.
In a tight first set, Ruud was serving to force a tiebreak, but Hong brought up set point. A long rally ended when the Norwegian, desperate to find a way through Hong’s defences, attempted a drop shot that nestled into the net, handing the Korean the opening set 75.
The two players traded breaks of serve in the opening exchanges of the second set, with Hong breaking first but Ruud storming straight back and pumping up the crowd. This was the most high-profile match in Hong’s short career and he admits his nerves got the better of him. “So much people were watching,” he recalled after the match, “so I was really nervous.”
He regained his composure shortly after and broke serve again to lead 5-3, with the opportunity to serve for the title. This time there were no nerves, and when a Ruud forehand drifted long, he turned to his team, removed his cap, and beamed a huge smile.
“I just feel great.” Hong enthused. “I didn’t know I was going to win, I was so lucky today […]I am feeling really happy now.”
Next week, Hong is travelling back to Korea to compete in the Guanju Open Challenger, as the tournament has given him a wildcard. His win-loss record for the season now stands at 23-1, and it would not be a surprise to see him cause a few upsets at such a high-level tournament.
When asked about his career goals, there was only one name mentioned as an inspiration – world No. 6 Kei Nishikori. “I want to be like [Kei] Nishikori.” He stated, without a moment’s hesitation. “I want to be top five in the world and I will work hard.”
Casper Ruud may have fallen in the final, but he enjoyed his week in China. “It's probably the best junior event.” He announced during the awards ceremony. “You guys are doing a great job at making us feel like real professionals.”
Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera finished the week in third place in the men’s competition as he overcame Miomir Kecmanovic 46 64 64 in an entertaining contest.
William Blumberg won two matches on Sunday after rain interrupted his 5-8th place play-off against Brazil’s Orlando Luz on Saturday night, with the American leading 5-4 in the opening set. Blumberg wasted very little time or energy in getting his first win as he downed Luz 64 61. His second battle came against Spaniard Alvaro Lopez San Martin to see who would finish fifth. Once again, Blumberg had little difficulty as he won 63 64.
Luz’s second match was the 7-8th place play-off against Ly Hoang Nam of Vietnam. There was no easy win for Luz’s tired legs, but he did grind out a win, overcoming Ly 6-4 4-6 7-6(4) in a close battle.
We look forward to seeing what all of these young prospects will achieve in the coming years.