Australian Open 2018: Roger Federer impressed by Hyeon Chung, feels he will be a 'great' player in the future
What's the story?
Roger Federer is known to be a true class act on and off the tennis court and he proved the same yet again following his semi-final victory over unseeded South Korean youngster Hyeon Chung.
Chung was forced to retire late in the second set after recurring injury problems and conceded the match as well as a spot in the finals to the five-time champion Roger Federer. Humble in victory, Roger was quick to praise his young opponent.
"It's very impressive...It's very intense, his tennis. I wish him the best. I was very impressed," he said.
When asked about what the future holds for the talented youngster, the Swiss maestro gave a resounding voice of approval.
"Top 10 for sure. I don't want to put too much pressure on him. I think he'll be a great, great player," Federer added.
In case you didn't know...
Federer will compete in yet another Grand Slam final as he looks to win a sixth Australian Open crown against Croatian Marin Cilic. The Croat made it to the finals following a straightforward win over Kyle Edmund in the semi-finals.
The heart of the matter
Federer was well on course to a 30th Grand Slam final, leading the match 6-1, 5-2, when Chung was forced to retire from the match. However, the greatness of Federer was on display once again as he went on to sympathize with the young Korean player. He said it was bittersweet to win in such a manner
"It's bittersweet to reach the final this way.
"He's played such a wonderful tournament. Well alone his attitude, you could tell to the very end. I could tell something was wrong before he took the injury timeout," the 19-time Grand Slam winner said.
Needless to say, Chung would have taken some positives even from the defeat.
What's next?
The Australian Open men's singles final will take place on Sunday, 29th January 2018, between Federer and Marin Cilic.
Author's take
It may have been a disappointing day at the office for young Chung but with words of encouragement such as these from the legend himself, the future looks bright for the South Korean.