Chin confident despite tricky Kingston qualifier

Jamaican tennis player John Chin says he has nothing to fear as he begins his campaign in the qualifying round of the Kingston Open, an ATP Challenger tournament, at the Liguanea Club in Kingston today.

The tournament, which runs from August 16 to 29, marks the first time an ATP Challenger event of this scale has been staged in the English-speaking Caribbean.

The 22-year-old Chin is seeking a crucial victory that would secure his place in the main draw tomorrow.

Despite facing a strong field featuring several highly ranked international players, Chin believes his preparation and the advantage of playing on home soil could work in his favour.

“I am feeling confident because I have prepared well for this tournament, and so I am going in there with confidence in myself and I know what it takes to win matches here,” Chin said.

“I always play well whenever I play in Jamaica. Two summers ago, when they had the tournament here, I did pretty well. I always feel like I have a boost and I always feel like every match that I play I have an advantage in the sense that I have the crowd with me and the conditions are favourable for me as well,” he said.

Chin added that the qualifying matches will be very challenging, but he has prepared himself mentally and physically for whatever opposition he may face.

“It is going to be tough because there are a lot of good players and players that are ranked very high in the world,” he stated.

“These are players that I have never played against. I have only played a few matches at this level, but I have beaten players at this level and it is never easy.

“Hopefully, I can prove that I belong here and I can give it my best.”

Chin underscored that he is also looking to use the Kingston Open as a springboard after a difficult period that has left him without a current world ranking.

“I don’t have a ranking right now and so it is like I am starting from scratch now,” he said.

“I have had injuries and a tough few years with illness, but I feel like if I have good results, these tournaments can put me on a good path to climb up the rankings.”