INDIAN WELLS, CA - MARCH 14: Hyeon Chung of South Korea hits a forehand in his match against Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 14, 2018 in Indian Wells, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Hyeon Chung has had a great 2018 so far, with a quarter-final or better stamp in every tournament since Auckland. After a few hiccups in the second round, Chung has looked like he’s in pristine form. But can he upset Federer?

Strategy

Federer

One of the main tactics employed by Federer in their last meeting down under was to hit slow-paced drive shots in “No Man’s Land”, forcing Chung to either hit shots that were too low or to come ahead and hit shots at a normal pace, thereby forcing him to eventually also come to the net, an area where Chung does poorly. However, with the slow surface and higher bounce, it is unlikely that Federer will employ this tactic.

For Federer to win, he’ll be looking to mix it up with slices and loopy top-spin shots in “No Man’s Land” rather than slow drives seen in the Australian Open. Chung’s net game is still a big chink in his otherwise solid armour. The main reason for mixing it up will be because Chung will be looking to take the ball on the rise, which will nullify Federer’s attempts to draw him to the net.

Chung

For Chung, the main area of attack will be the backhand by utilising his inside-out forehand. In surface conditions like these, the inside out forehand will be instrumental in disturbing Federer’s rhythm. While most would argue that topspin would be more effective, Federer is more likely to take shots on the rise, even if the conditions aren’t very ideal.

But Can Chung Do It?

Opinion: No. Chung’s game is still too raw for him to trouble Federer much. Unless Federer plays poorly and Chung plays an error-free and very risky game (both of which don’t go hand in hand often), it really is unlikely that the to be crowned Asian #1 will cause much trouble.

Federer in three sets.