HOUSTON – Hyeon Chung, a 21-year-old who has reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, will return to River Oaks Country Club in April to play the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship for the fourth time.
Early Monday, Chung advanced to his first Grand Slam quarterfinal with a win over six-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic. He’ll face Tennys Sandgren, who made his ATP World Tour debut at River Oaks in 2017, for a spot in the semifinals of the year’s first Major at 7:00 p.m. CST Tuesday.
Chung joins a singles field for the April 7-15 US Clay tournament that already includes Americans Steve Johnson, John Isner, Sam Querrey, Ryan Harrison, Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe along with South African Kevin Anderson. Six-time US Clay champions Bob and Mike Bryan have committed to the doubles field.
It has been a history-making Australian Open for Chung, who is the first Korean tennis player to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal. It is his second quarterfinal of the season, having also reached that round in Auckland. Chung closed his 2017 season by winning the inaugural ATP World Tour Next Gen Finals last November in Milan.
As a junior, Chung was ranked as high as No. 7 in the world and reached the Wimbledon boys final in 2013. In 2014, he won a gold medal in doubles at the Asian Games, which allowed him to do four weeks of service with the South Korean military instead of the required two years.
Chung, the ATP’s 2015 Most Improved Player, is known for his unique look on court as he plays with glasses. His vision actually led him to pursue the sport after his doctor recommended that looking at the color green would help his eyesight.
In three previous appearances at River Oaks, Chung has reached at least the second round each time, including a run to the quarterfinals in 2016.
The full singles field for the 2018 tournament will be announced at the end of Feburary.
Tickets for the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship are on sale now. To purchase tickets or for more information visit https://mensclaycourt.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=8cd90cad87229f07f8a54782e&id=7f420708e1&e=06f412e14d.
