Duong defeats World No. 1 Johns in men’s singles at PPA Masters
PALM SPRINGS, CA – Major upset alert in Southern California.
Seventeen-year-old Quang Duong made headlines by defeating World No. 1 Ben Johns in Round of 16 men's singles action at The Masters on Thursday with an 11-7, 7-11, 11-6 triumph on Humana Championship Court.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect this,” said Duong, the No. 17 seed, during his post-match interview. “I got lucky with the new ball, the wind, and the new serve rules.”
After a weather delay that pushed the match back an hour, Duong was clearly prepared to battle the most dominant - and decorated - male athlete in the sport.
The youngster capitalized on a few favorable line calls and a serve penalty by Johns, and showcased outstanding court coverage along the way.
“I was just trying to get into my rhythm and do my best,” mentioned Duong.
Throughout the contest, Duong regularly discussed strategy with his coach - who just happens to be his father.
The pair obviously did their homework on Johns to get ready accordingly.
“My dad and I looked at Ben’s cat and mouse games, and we worked on the new serve [ahead of the match],” he explained.
Duong will face eighth-seeded Pablo Tellez in the quarterfinals on Friday.
“I’ll let my dad scout him,” he said with a laugh.
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