Hsieh Cheng-peng (謝政鵬) teamed up with Marton Fucsovics of Hungary to win the boys doubles title at the 2009 US Open on Sunday, becoming the first Taiwanese tennis player to win a title at the Grand Slam tournament.
The pair beat their French opponents, Julien Obry and Adrien Puget, 7-6(5), 5-7, 10-1.
The 18-year-old Hsieh, who is about to move on from junior tennis competition, already has two Australian junior boys doubles championships and one Wimbledon boys’ doubles title under his belt.
Hsieh’s older sister Hsieh Su-wei (謝淑薇) reached the semifinals in this year’s US Open mixed doubles, but most of the other Taiwanese players at the tournament did not make it past the first or second rounds.
Sunday’s 87-minute match was tense and full of drama, with the two teams well-matched.
Hsieh and Fucsovics got off to a rocky start, later settling down to win the first set 7-6(5).
They lost the second set 5-7, but in the final set recovered and edged ahead with good serves.
The pair won the match in a 10-point tie breaker to claim the title.
Hsieh and his partner sustained minor injuries.
After the game, an excited Hsieh expressed his heartfelt thanks to his coach and family for their instruction and long-term support.
Hsieh’s junior tennis career came to a sweet end as he held up the crystal trophy.
Next year, Hsieh will begin competing in professional matches. He plans to participate in tennis events in Asia to accumulate world ranking points. He has not ruled out the possibility of studying in the US and competing there.
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