Korean Tennis Player Advances to 2nd Round at Wimbledon

Wimbledon’s grass court is unfamiliar to Korean tennis players, including Korea’s most successful, Lee Hyung-taik (Samsung Securities).

Lee did not pass the first round when he first participated in the Wimbledon Championships in 2001. He said, “I remember I couldn’t concentrate on the ball.” Players find the grass court, which is more tiring and slippery than the hard court or clay court, more hazardous.

Lee has advanced to the second round in the three consecutive years since at Wimbledon.

In the men’s singles first round held at the All England Club on June 27, Lee, ranked 51st, beat Martin Vassallo Arguello (89th), 3-0 (6-4, 6-2, 6-3). After failing to pass the first round at the Australian Open and the French Open this year, Lee earned his first victory in a major tennis tournament with the win.

It was Lee’s sixth appearance in Wimbledon, while Arguello, a clay court player, was making his second appearance after failing to make the second round in 2004. With a record of no wins (0-2) against Arguello, Lee had an advantage on the grass court.

Lee beat Arguello with his rich experience and sharp strokes.

In the second round, Lee will play against another Argentine player, Agustin Calleri, ranked 29th. He lost to Calleri, 0-3 (3-6, 6-7, 5-7) at the 2003 Masters in Hamburg, Germany. Although he was defeated on the clay court, he may have a better chance of victory on the grass court of Wimbledon.

kjs0123@donga.com