Seven months after his Grand Slam debut, journeyman Jason Jung on Thursday recorded the biggest scalp of his career when he upset Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 7-5 in the second round at the New York Open.
After squandering a match point while receiving at 5-3, Jung was broken in the next game and the match seemed to be slipping from his grasp at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island.
However, US-born Jung, who plays for Taiwan, regrouped and broke back in the next game before serving out for the win, reacting in subdued fashion with nothing more than a little fist pump.
World No. 143 Jung is ranked 114 spots below Tiafoe, but played well above his station against the American, who perhaps was a little underdone after not playing since his Australian Open quarter-final loss to Rafa Nadal three weeks ago.
Second seed Tiafoe was a late entry into the New York Open.
His departure leaves only one of the top five seeds left in No. 1 John Isner.
Jung, 29, has never been ranked in the top 100 and perhaps is best known for getting a lucky loser spot at Wimbledon last year for his first Grand Slam main draw appearance when Andy Murray pulled out injured.
Next up for Jung was a quarter-final yesterday against American sixth seed Sam Querrey, who earlier defeated Radu Albot of Moldova 6-3, 6-4.
Thursday’s evening quarter-final pitted American Isner against Australian Jordan Thompson.
In other quarters, Italian Paolo Lorenzi meets Canadian Brayden Schnur, while Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez takes on American Reilly Opelka.
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