Nishikori's absence gives Chung his chance to shine

The absence of Japan's Kei Nishikori from this year's Australian Open has turned the spotlight on South Korea's Chung Hyeon as Asia waits for its first men's Grand Slam singles champion.

Former world No 4 Nishikori came close when he reached the US Open final in 2014 but he has since struggled to make a serious Slam challenge.

That's why the emergence of 21-year-old Chung is causing plenty of excitement.

Chung might only be ranked No 62, but he is clearly a man on the rise - as he showed by vanquishing the sport's other leading young guns en route to winning the inaugural ATP NextGen Finals in Milan.

The right-hander, who has worn distinctive prescription spectacles throughout his career, became the first Korean to win an ATP Tour title since Lee Hyung-taik won in Sydney in 2003.

While fellow Next Gen member Andrey Rublev appears to have greater firepower, the Russian acknowledges that the ice-cool Chung is mentally ahead of his peers heading into 2018.

"He has great shots and amazing legs," said Rublev, who was beaten by Chung in November's Milan final.

"I think his main weapon is that mentally he's really strong. He never gives up. If he feels he's losing, he's still always there.

"He never complains. He never shows emotion. That's why most of the time he wins the tough matches."

Chung performed consistently in 2017 and pushed Nishikori to five sets in the third round at the French Open, his best Grand Slam showing to date. He would be disappointed not to surpass it this year.

Melbourne would be the perfect stage as the tournament is billed as the Grand Slam of the Asia-Pacific, even if Asian champions from the region have been few and far between.

India's Leander Paes combined with the ageless Martina Navratilova to clinch the mixed-doubles title in 2003 to give Asia its first Australian Open champion.

Chinese duo Yan Zi and Zheng Jie then became the first all-Asian duo to clinch a Melbourne Park title when they won the women's doubles in 2006.

Other Asian players like Sun Tiantian, Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi have since also won doubles titles, but Li Na remains the only Asian singles champion at Melbourne Park.

China's Li, now retired, won the French Open in 2011 and was most at home on the blue hardcourts, reaching two finals before eventually triumphing in 2014.

Since she retired later that year, no Asian woman has filled that vacuum. However, Japan's Naomi Osaka has been tipped as the player to possibly assume Li's mantle.

The 20-year-old world No 68, who has a Haitian father and Japanese mother and was raised in the US, has a powerful ground game and one of the fastest serves in women's tennis.

Osaka, who idolized Serena Williams growing up, produced some superb performances last year, including beating defending champion Angelique Kerber at the US Open.

She also beat a resurgent Venus Williams twice - but also lost to lower-ranked players early in tournaments.

Reuters