Rising tennis star Lu Yen-hsun returned to Taiwan July 2 to a warm welcome from family members, neighbors and over 100 fans following his recent stellar performance at Wimbledon.
Lu had made history earlier in the week by becoming the first player ever from Taiwan and the first Asian since 1995 to advance to the quarterfinals of the grand slam event in London when he knocked out No. 5-seeded Andy Roddick of the United States in the fourth round.
Upon his return to Taiwan, one of Lu’s first orders of business was to pay tribute to his deceased father, who had loved the Wimbledon tournament more than any other. Lu had said following his victory over Roddick that his biggest regret was that his father had not lived long enough to share the joy of his accomplishment.
Speaking in front of a throng of reporters covering his return home, Lu said, “There is only one winner in a tournament, and this time it wasn’t me. In the future, I’ll work even harder and with more modesty in striving to succeed.”
On his quarterfinal loss to world No. 3 Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon, Lu said he hopes that he will have the opportunity to square off against his Serbian foe at the upcoming U.S. Open, which kicks off in late August.
Lu is only staying in Taiwan for a brief three days this time around. His schedule is packed with engagements, ranging from press conferences to share his experiences at Wimbledon to events hosted by his sponsors.
Ahead of the U.S. Open, Lu is slated to take part in the annual Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, D.C. Aug. 1. He will enjoy something of a “home court advantage” in the tournament as members of the “Greater Washington Friends of Lu Yen-hsun” association recently formed by Taiwan expatriate Ben Chang will be on hand to cheer him on. (SB)
(This article originally appeared in the China Times July 3.)