The 17-year-old tennis player beat world No. 127 and became the first player born in 2005 to advance to the first four rounds of a Challenger tournament. From now on, the Vitacura left-hander will have to travel 1,400 kilometers to accompany him.
What began as a promise to motivate whoever might be his future student, tomorrow will become a reality. Marcelo Ríos told Juncheng Shang (334th ATP) that if he managed to qualify for the semi-finals of the Lexington Challenger, he would travel himself to see him play. . Well, the young Asian made it that day and is already waiting for the former world number one in his box for the top four round.
It was in a game where he was hitting the ball and hitting milestones. Shang defeated by 0-6, 6-4 and 7-5 to the first seed of the event, Roman Safiullin (124th) to enter the semi-finals and moreover he managed to become the first player born in 2005 to settle in the top four of a Challenger tournament . Two points that highlight the level and projection of the man born in Beijing.
Thus, the former world number one must travel 1,429 kilometers to get from his home in Sarasota (Florida) to Lexington (Kentucky) and be able to attend the duel between Shang and Aleksandar Kovacevic (229th). A proof of the commitment and the faith that the Chilean has in what could be his next director.
“He reminds me a lot of me, he is very similar in his way of being. Never in my life had I been so impressed to see someone play. Besides, he is 17 years old and has never had a full-time coach and never made a pre-season. He’s 300 years old from what he’s seen. Imagine if I manage to train him or they manage to train him, the potential he has is amazing” was one of the phrases that Ríos launched in an interview with La Tercera, where he discussed in depth his relationship with the Asian.
A company that is one step away from becoming official. Only the economic details remain a total agreement between the Vitacura left-hander and the Beijing left-hander. It would be Ríos’ first full-time project on the circuit, nothing more and nothing less than one of the most promising players in the world.
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Source: Latercera
I’m Todderic Kirkman, a journalist and author for athletistic. I specialize in covering all news related to sports, ranging from basketball to football and everything in between. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, I have become an invaluable asset to my team. My ambition is to bring the most up-to-date information on sports topics around the world.
