"Kwon Soon-woo Overpowers Chung Hyeon in First-Ever Showdown: 'Younger Brother Triumphs Over Elder'"

Chung Hyeon Takes Early Lead in First Set but Falters Due to Fatigue
Kwon Soon-woo Seals Victory with Consecutive Love Games in the Third Set
Set for First-Ever Showdown Against Hsu Yu-hsiou of Taiwan in Semifinals

In a historic "Korean Derby" between two pillars of Korean tennis, Kwon Soon-woo pulled off a thrilling come-from-behind victory against Chung Hyeon. Kwon Soon-woo (28, Republic of Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps) advanced to the singles semifinals of the 2026 Gwangju Open International Men's Challenger Tour tennis tournament after defeating Chung Hyeon (29, Gimpo City Hall) in a dramatic reversal.

Jung Hyun is competing against Kwon Soon-woo in the men's quarterfinals of the 2026 Gwangju Open International Men's Challenger Tour tennis tournament held on the 24th at Jinwol International Tennis Stadium in Nam-gu, Gwangju. Provided by the Gwangju Tennis Association

Ranked 350th in the world, Kwon Soon-woo overcame Chung Hyeon (ranked 644th) with a set score of 2-1 (3-6, 6-2, 6-4) in the singles quarterfinals held on April 24 at Jinwol International Tennis Center in Nam-gu, Gwangju. With this victory, Kwon has returned to the Gwangju Open semifinals for the first time in seven years since 2019, signaling a strong comeback.

At the beginning of the match, Chung Hyeon's experience shone through. Kwon Soon-woo started off shakily, allowing a break in the very first game of the first set, and after tying the score at 3-3, he lost three consecutive games to drop the first set.

However, the tide turned starting in the second set. Kwon Soon-woo began firing powerful service aces and moved with renewed energy. In contrast, Chung Hyeon's movement noticeably slowed, revealing his physical limitations. At 2-2 in the second set, Kwon swept the next four games to level the match.

In the decisive third set, with the score tied at 4-4, Kwon Soon-woo's concentration reached its peak. He broke Chung Hyeon's serve to seize the momentum, then closed out the match with a love game on his own serve. Kwon displayed flawless play by holding all three of his service games in the latter part of the third set without dropping a single point.

Immediately after the match, Kwon Soon-woo collapsed on the court, suffering severe muscle cramps in both legs and receiving treatment for about 10 minutes. Nevertheless, after he recovered, he still participated in a prize draw and autograph event for the fans, showing true professionalism.

After the match, Chung Hyeon said, "As expected, Kwon Soon-woo played a good match. It was meaningful to be able to show the fans a good performance, and I hope Soon-woo plays well again tomorrow," he said with a smile as he left the court.

Kwon Soon-woo commented, "In the first set, my desire to win was too strong, which made it hard to find my rhythm, but after I decided to just enjoy the game, my play became more stable." With this semifinal berth, Kwon Soon-woo's live ranking has risen to 307th. On April 25, he will face Taiwan's Hsu Yu-hsiou for a spot in the final.

Meanwhile, Nam Ji-sung (32, Sejong City Hall), who competed in the doubles draw, was eliminated in the quarterfinals and was unable to advance to the semifinals.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.