Korea made history this weekend, reaching the Davis Cup quarterfinals for the first time by defeating India, 3-1. And they’ve done it with a pair of former Top 60 players who are starting to play top-level tennis again.
Soonwoo Kwon and Hyeon Chung swept singles, with Kwon going 2-0 and clinching the tie with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Sumit Nagal.
Chung also came through a marathon on Friday, defeating Nagal 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 in three hours and six minutes to give Korea a 2-0 lead.
“It means a lot to qualify for the Final 8 in Bologna,” said Kwon, according to DavisCup.com. “I feel very prideful for my country and every team I play against, I give my best. When I play in a team, I know that I can’t let my teammates down. Given the fanbase of Davis Cup, the players have great motivation to keep the momentum on their side, the fans in Seoul brought that momentum in my favour.”
Korea defeated Argentina 3-2 in Busan to advance to the Qualifiers 2nd Round in February.
The 28-year-old Kwon, who recently completed 18 months of compulsory military service in South Korea, is a former world No. 52. He’s currently ranked No. 157.
Former world No. 19 Chung is currently ranked No. 549.
The 2018 Australian Open semifinalist continues to rebuild his ranking after missing several years due to injuries.
Davis Cup Qualifiers 2nd Round
- Korea, Rep. def. India, 3-1
- Austria def. Belgium, 3-1
- Czechia def. USA — 3-2
- Canada vs. France — Canada leads 2-0
- Great Britain vs. Ecuador — Great Britain leads 2-0
- Germany vs. Croatia — Germany leads 2-0
- Chile vs. Spain — in progress
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