Federer into Australian Open final after Chung quits

Federer into Australian Open final after Chung quits

Chung Hyeon shakes hands with Roger Federer after the South Korean retired from the match due to injury on Friday. (Reuters photo)
Chung Hyeon shakes hands with Roger Federer after the South Korean retired from the match due to injury on Friday. (Reuters photo)

MELBOURNE: Ruthless Roger Federer handed Chung Hyeon an old-fashioned schooling before the South Korean quit trailing 6-1, 5-2 in a damp squib of an Australian Open semi-final on Friday.

The 36-year-old was all over the world number 58 throughout a one-sided contest under the Rod Laver Arena roof, breaking three times to win the opening set in 33 minutes.

When Chung held serve to make it 1-1 in the second set a huge cheer went up from the Australia Day crowd who had hoped to witness a classic battle of the generations.

But the bespectacled 21-year-old, nicknamed 'the professor', simply had no answer to Federer's masterclass.

Federer broke for 3-1 with a dipping backhand pass and when Chung needed treatment on his foot blisters at 1-4 his hopes of becoming the first South Korean to reach a grand slam final looked completely hopeless.

Chung managed to win one more game but threw in the towel. 


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