South Korea’s first Grand Slam semi-finalist Hyeon Chung is using special shoe insoles to combat foot blisters, which have troubled him throughout last season and had even forced him to retire from the semi-finals of the Australian Open against Roger Federer.
Playing his first ATP match since an injury-forced end to his 2018 season in October, the second seed was knocked out of the Tata Open Maharashtra on Wednesday by Ernests Gulbis. The world No 95 beat the struggling Korean 7-6(2), 6-2, after trailing 0-4 in the first set.
“I had a good start in the first set but then I lost a few points, so I lost my rhythm and then he started to play good,” Chung said after the match. The 22-year-old also said that he was feeling physically fit, despite the taping on his back, and added that injury played no part in his loss.
At the start of 2018, the 22-year-old promised a lot as the inaugural Next Gen ATP champion and the youngest Australian Open semi-finalist in eight years. But after getting painful blisters, he had an injury-plagued season, withdrawing from the French Open and Wimbledon. His last match of the season was a quarter-final retirement against Fabio Fognini in Stockholm.
The Korean, who is starting his season in India for the first time, said that he had worked hard in the off season in Bangkok to ensure he is fitter in 2019. “In pre-season I had a lot of cardio and I spent a lot of time on courts,” he said.
Talking about his special foot gear he said, “I have got special insoles made for my shoes now and I am trying to get used to it,” he said in Pune.
“It helped a lot in the match [against Gulbis] as well.”
The world No 25 is also hoping he can play better in 2019 than he did last year. At the 2018 Australian Open, the then 21-year-old had beaten both Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic. “I had a really good start in Melbourne,” he said. “I really didn’t know I am going to make the semi-finals in a Grand Slam.
“I hope I am playing better than last year, I am just trying to enjoy my tennis and do my best.”
The 22-year-old said that while it was tough for young players to make the breakthrough on a tour that is increasingly dominated by players over 30, he just has to learn from the likes of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.
“I am trying to keep fighting all the time against them. They are all great players, on and off the court. I am just trying to learn more from them all the time,” he said.