'A gold medal challenge after 12 years, but the finish was regrettable' Nam Ji-sung and Park Ui-seong fall to Japan → Earn valuable silver medals [Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The team of Nam Ji-sung (Dangjin City Hall) and Park Ui-seong (Daegu City Hall) won a silver medal in the men's doubles event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games tennis competition.

In the men's doubles final held on the 2nd at the Center Court of the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center in Nagoya, Japan, the Nam Ji-sung-Park Ui-seong team lost to the Yusuke Kusunoki-Shunsuke Nakagawa team (Japan) with a score of 0-2 (3-6, 6-7<4-7>).

In the first set, they ceded the early momentum. The Nam Ji-sung-Park Ui-seong team allowed a break from the very first service game. They subsequently attempted to counterattack by targeting the opponents' service games, but ultimately failed to narrow the gap, dropping the first set 3-6 in just 31 minutes.

A tense battle continued in the second set.

The Nam Ji-sung-Park Ui-seong team appeared to seize the momentum after achieving their first break of the match at a game score of 3-2. However, they immediately conceded their own service game, allowing a break-back, and the contest returned to a standstill.

The most regrettable moment came at 6-5. In the opponents' service game, the Nam Ji-sung-Park Ui-seong team secured advantage after a deuce battle, creating an opportunity to take the set, but they failed to capitalize on it. Consequently, the match proceeded to a tiebreak.

The start of the tiebreak was also promising. The Nam Ji-sung-Park Ui-seong team achieved the first mini-break, taking a 2-0 lead.

However, the Japanese team pursued relentlessly, tying the score at 4-4. The Nam Ji-sung-Park Ui-seong team conceded a mini-break at 4-5 and subsequently lost points consecutively on two of the opponents' serves, dropping the tiebreak 4-7.

The total match time was 1 hour and 31 minutes.

Although they fell short of the gold medal, it was a meaningful achievement. Through this tournament, the Nam Ji-sung-Park Ui-seong team advanced to the men's doubles final for the first time in 12 years for Korean tennis, following the Lim Yong-gyu-Jung Hyeon team at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.

The two players have consistently coordinated on the international stage as well. Nam Ji-sung is ranked 112nd in ATP doubles rankings, while Park Ui-seong is ranked 288th; the two players have won together three times at international tournaments during this period. Among these, two were victories at ATP Challenger events.

The final opponents, the Kusunoki-Nakagawa team, were also a formidable doubles-specialized pair. Both players belong to the same professional team, the Iyo Bank Tennis Club, and have consistently partnered in doubles at domestic and international tournaments.

The Kusunoki-Nakagawa team has recorded 16 joint victories at international tournaments and previously faced the Nam Ji-sung-Park Ui-seong team at the Yokkaichi Challenger in Japan last March.

In this final as well, the two teams engaged in a fierce battle through the second set. However, the Japanese team demonstrated concentration at the critical juncture, and the Nam Ji-sung-Park Ui-seong team had to settle for silver medals.

With the silver medal of the Nam Ji-sung-Park Ui-seong team, the schedule for the Korean tennis national team at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games has concluded.

Korean tennis harvested one silver medal at this tournament.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original