Australian Open semi-finalist Hyeon Chung to play at Maharashtra Open 2019

Pune: South Korean tennis player Hyeon Chung, who defeated multiple Grand Slam title winner Novak Djokovic earlier this year, will be a star attraction at the second edition of the Maharashtra Open beginning in December. The World No 27 is expected to be a top draw at the ATP 250 event to be played at the Balewadi Stadium. [caption id=“attachment_4325633” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Hyeon Chung. AP/Vincent Thian[/caption] Maharashtra Open Tournament Director Prashant Sutar was excited to sign the Korean as one of the first players for the event. “Hyeon Chung is one of the most exciting talents in tennis today. His consistent run across various tour events, including Australian Open, since winning the inaugural Next Gen ATP Tour Finals last year has made him a player to watch out for this time at the Maharashtra Open,” Sutar was quoted as saying in a media release on Monday. The 22-year-old made waves at the 2018 Australian Open, where on his way to the semi-final against legendary Roger Federer, he stunned World No 5 Alexander Zverev in Round of 32. But what created ripples was handing six-time Melbourne Park winner and his idol Djokovic a straight-sets loss in the round of 16. However, he had to retire from the semi-final against Federer due to blisters. But by then he had already created history by becoming the first player from South Korea to go past the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament. Hyeon Chung started the year ranked No 58 and by April he climbed to a career-high ranking of 19, mostly due to his unprecedented run at the Australian Open. In November 2017, Hyeon Chung had announced his arrival winning the inaugural ATP Next Gen Championships in Milan. The Maharashtra Open begins on 29 December when the qualifiers will take place on the first two days to determine the last four entrants for the main tournament. The main draw will start from 31 December with the final scheduled on 5 January.