Tennis: Wildcard Chen Kuan-shou stuns Swiss seed to reach Taiwan Open final

Taiwanese underdog Chen Kuan-shou has achieved a historic feat at the Taisu Open, becoming the first wildcard entrant to reach the singles final of the tournament. The 18-year-old, standing at a modest 167cm, battled through adversity to defeat the significantly taller Swiss 8th seed, Luca Castelnuovo, in a dramatic three-set match.

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He used speed and grit to compensate for the height difference.

Despite being outsized by the 188cm Castelnuovo, Chen relied on his speed and tenacity to overcome the challenge. After dropping the first set in a tie-break, he faced a daunting 1-5 deficit in the second set. However, Chen displayed incredible mental fortitude, saving three match points before forcing another tie-break, which he ultimately won to level the match.

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Despite the pressure of being 1-5 down in the second set, he saved 3 match points to force a tie-break and then won the set.

The deciding set saw Chen Kuan-shou maintain his aggressive approach, launching a decisive offensive from 4-0 to break down his opponent's defenses. The grueling encounter lasted over three hours, culminating in Chen's remarkable comeback victory and securing his place in the championship match.

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He showed amazing resilience in the deciding set, launching a fierce attack from 4-0 to demoralize his taller opponent.

Chen, currently without a professional ranking, has been on an impressive trajectory since beginning his training with former Taiwanese No. 1 Lu Yen-hsun. He recently reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open juniors and has shown consistent improvement throughout the Taisu Open. He is set to face Australian 3rd seed Matthew Dellavedova in the final, aiming to capture the title on home ground and cap off a fairytale run.

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His victory over the tall Swiss player has greatly boosted the morale of the home crowd's rising star, who aims to win the championship on home soil.