AFP, Melbourne :
Defending champion Roger Federer strolled into the Australian Open final in a bitter-sweet win after Chung Hyeon’s retired injured in their semi-final on Friday.
The Swiss star was leading 6-1, 5-2 when the South Korean called it quits with foot blisters and will now face Marin Cilic in Sunday’s final.
Chung, the first South Korean man or woman to play in a Grand Slam semi-final, was treated in a medical timeout for the left foot problem two games earlier.
But it came as a big surprise when the 21-year-old walked to the net at 30-30 and trailing 2-5 after 1hr 02mins in the second set to concede defeat.
It put Federer into his seventh Australian final as he chases his sixth Melbourne title and 20th Grand Slam victory.
Federer leads 2014 US Open champion Cilic 8-1 in their meetings.
The Swiss maestro now has a 30-13 win-loss record in Grand Slam semi-finals and has yet to drop a set in this year’s Australian Open.
“You couldn’t tell until the end,” he said of Chung’s injury problems.
Defending champion Roger Federer strolled into the Australian Open final in a bitter-sweet win after Chung Hyeon’s retired injured in their semi-final on Friday.
The Swiss star was leading 6-1, 5-2 when the South Korean called it quits with foot blisters and will now face Marin Cilic in Sunday’s final.
Chung, the first South Korean man or woman to play in a Grand Slam semi-final, was treated in a medical timeout for the left foot problem two games earlier.
But it came as a big surprise when the 21-year-old walked to the net at 30-30 and trailing 2-5 after 1hr 02mins in the second set to concede defeat.
It put Federer into his seventh Australian final as he chases his sixth Melbourne title and 20th Grand Slam victory.
Federer leads 2014 US Open champion Cilic 8-1 in their meetings.
The Swiss maestro now has a 30-13 win-loss record in Grand Slam semi-finals and has yet to drop a set in this year’s Australian Open.
“You couldn’t tell until the end,” he said of Chung’s injury problems.
