Chung’s frightening, but won’t scare Federer - Wilander

Friday, 26 January 2018 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - South Korea’s Chung Hyeon is a frightening prospect who can intimidate opponents but will not be able to trouble Roger Federer in their Australian Open semi-final, according to former champion Mats Wilander.

The bespectacled 21-year-old, conqueror of six-times Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic, is already being compared to his Serbian victim with opponents finding it nigh on impossible to get the ball past his defences.

Federer, favourite to claim a sixth Australian Open and 20th grand slam in total, admits he knows little about Chung’s game having never faced him or watched many of his matches, but Wilander says that will not worry the Swiss great.

“Chung only has a very small chance,” Wilander, working as a commentator for Eurosport in Melbourne, told Reuters.

”He doesn’t serve well enough. There will be so much pressure on his serve and Federer will have the freedom to try a few different things on the Chung serve.

”He won’t get enough free points. Once the ball is in play he has a chance but I think he is a bit too simple as a player at the moment against someone as experienced as Federer.

”It’s just not the right player for him to play against. Federer has so many different weapons and ways he can play.

“But it will be interesting to see what he comes up with.”