Lee Hyung-taik (, born 3 January 1976) is a former professional tennis player from South Korea. He won one singles title and achieved a career-high singles ranking of world No. 36, in August 2007.
Personal life Lee was born in a potato-farming village in Hoengseong County, South Korea. He began playing tennis at age nine with a school teacher. After retirement, he is running his own academy in Gangwon province in the tennis center at Song-ahm Sports Town in Chuncheon named "Lee Hyung Taik Tennis Academy", which opened on 12 September 2009.
Tennis career 2000 With the help of Coach Hee June Choi, Lee made a splash at the US Open tournament, reaching the fourth round before losing to Pete Sampras. En route to his fourth-round appearance against Sampras, Lee defeated Jeff Tarango, 13th seed Franco Squillari, and future Australian Open runner-up Rainer Schüttler.
2003 In 2003, Lee became the first Korean to win ATP Tour singles and doubles titles by winning the singles tournament at the Sydney International as a qualifier (beating Juan Carlos Ferrero in the final) and the doubles tournament at the Siebel Open in San Jose, California (partnering with Belarusian Vladimir Voltchkov).
At Wimbledon, he was defeated in the first round by eventual champion Roger Federer in straight sets.
2006 In the second round at Wimbledon, Lee was defeated by former champion and two-time semifinalist Lleyton Hewitt in five sets, including three tie-breakers. Lee had set points in the third set tie-breaker, but went on to lose the set after an incorrect line call. As Lee went on to win the fourth set the call probably prevented him winning the match against the eventual quarterfinalist.
2007
Lee matched his best Grand Slam performance by making the fourth round of the US Open tournament. In the first round, he was forced to five sets before defeating Dominik Hrbatý. Lee was pit against Guillermo Cañas, who was the fourteenth seed in the tournament, in the second round. He defeated Cañas in three sets, setting up a third round showdown against nineteenth seed Andy Murray. Lee got out to a quick two set advantage against Murray, eventually winning in four sets. In the fourth round, Lee played fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko, who defeated the Korean in three sets.
His fourth round showing at the US Open capped a very successful hardcourt series. During the US Open Series, Lee reached the semifinals at the Countrywide Classic in Los Angeles, the quarterfinals at the Indianapolis Tennis Championships and at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic.
Lee set personal bests in a handful of categories, including match wins and money earned. He won a career-high 25 matches and earned $386,230. Overall, Lee compiled records of 16–15 on hard, 5–5 on clay, 3–3 on grass and 1–0 on carpet. In August, he achieved his career best ranking in singles as world No. 36 with the help of his coach, Hee June Choi.
2008 In the 2008 season, Lee had a disappointing losing streak and eventually fell out of the top 100. He did, however, match his best Masters Series result by making the fourth round of Indian Wells, beating Michaël Llodra, Jarkko Nieminen and No. 5 seed David Ferrer along the way.
2009 In 2009, Lee played one final time for Korea, in the Davis Cup play-off between Korea and China. He announced his retirement from pro tennis after the Davis Cup match, with Korea triumphing 3–2.
Doubles Lee sometimes played doubles alongside Korean-American player Kevin Kim. The pair reached the third round of the 2005 French Open.
Playing style Lee is right-handed and uses a single-handed backhand. He considers his backhand as his best shot. His favorite surface is hardcourt. He was coached by countryman and former ATP professional Yoon Yong-il (since March 2006).
ATP career finals
Singles: 2 (1 title, 1 runner-up) LegendGrand Slam Tournaments (0–0)ATP World Tour Finals (0–0)ATP Masters 1000 Series (0–0)ATP 500 Series (0–0)ATP 250 Series (1–1)Finals by surfaceHard (1–0)Clay (0–1)Grass (0–0)Carpet (0–0)Finals by settingOutdoors (1–1)Indoors (0–0)
ResultW–LDateTournamentTierSurfaceOpponentScoreLoss0–1Houston, United StatesWorld SeriesClay Andy Roddick5–7, 3–6Win1–1Sydney, AustraliaWorld SeriesHard Juan Carlos Ferrero4–6, 7–6(8–6), 7–6(7–4)
Doubles: 1 (1 title) LegendGrand Slam Tournaments (0–0)ATP World Tour Finals (0–0)ATP Masters 1000 Series (0–0)ATP 500 Series (0–0)ATP 250 Series (1–0)Finals by surfaceHard (1–0)Clay (0–0)Grass (0–0)Carpet (0–0)Finals by settingOutdoors (0–0)Indoors (1–0)
ResultW–LDateTournamentTierSurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreWin1–0San Jose, United StatesWorld SeriesHard Vladimir Voltchkov Paul Goldstein Robert Kendrick7–5, 4–6, 6–3
ATP Challenger and ITF Futures finals
Singles: 27 (22–5) LegendATP Challenger (13–4)ITF Futures (9–1)Finals by surfaceHard (16–3)Clay (1–1)Grass (0–0)Carpet (5–1)
ResultW–LDateTournamentTierSurfaceOpponentScoreWin1–0Korea F1, SogwipoFuturesHard Paradorn Srichaphan6–3, 6–3Win2–0Korea F2, SogwipoFuturesHard Nir Welgreen6–0, 6–3Win3–0Canada F2, MontrealFuturesHard Michael Russell6–0, 7–5Win4–0Canada F3, BouchervilleFuturesHard James Sekulov4–6, 6–4, 6–1Loss4–1Lexington, United StatesChallengerHard Paul Goldstein1–6, 4–6Win5–1Japan F4, MaishimaFuturesCarpet Yoon Yong-Il7–6, 2–6, 6–4Win6–1Japan F1, IsawaFuturesClay Gouichi Motomura7–6, 1–6, 5–2 ret.Win7–1China F1, BeijingFuturesHard Dmitriy Tomashevich6–3, 6–2Win8–1China F2, ShenyangFuturesHard Danai Udomchoke6–0, 6–0Loss8–2Korea F2, SeoulFuturesClay Baek Seung-bok6–3, 2–6, 2–6Win9–2Japan F5, KobeFuturesCarpet Kwon Oh-Hee6–1, 7–5Win10–2Yokohama, JapanChallengerCarpet Paradorn Srichaphan6–3, 6–0Win11–2Bronx, United StatesChallengerHard Reginald Willems6–4, 6–1Win12–2Seoul, South KoreaChallengerHard Radek Štěpánek6–4, 6–4Loss12–3Osaka, JapanChallengerHard Michel Kratochvil6–2, 2–6, 2–6Win13–3Seoul, South KoreaChallengerHard Gouichi Motomura6–3, 6–4Win14–3Yokohama, JapanChallengerCarpet John van Lottum2–6, 7–6(2–7), 7–6(8–6)Win15–3Seoul, South KoreaChallengerHard Dennis van Scheppingen6–3, 6–3Win16–3Seoul, South KoreaChallengerHard Jean-René Lisnard3–6, 7–5, 6–2Loss16–4Port Louis, MauritiusChallengerHard Andrei Pavel3–6, 1–6Win17–4Seoul, South KoreaChallengerHard Nicolas Thomann4–6, 6–1, 7–6(8–6)Win18–4Busan, South KoreaChallengerHard Danai Udomchoke6–3, 6–2Win19–4Lexington, United StatesChallengerHard Amer Delić5–7, 6–2, 6–3Win20–4Seoul, South KoreaChallengerHard Björn Phau6–2, 6–2Win21–4Seoul, South KoreaChallengerHard Ivo Minář6–4, 6–0Win22–4Yokohama, JapanChallengerCarpet Go Soeda7–5, 6–3Loss22–5Toyota, JapanChallengerCarpet Go Soeda2–6, 6–7(7–9)
Doubles: 22 (14–8) LegendATP Challenger (5–4)ITF Futures (9–4)Finals by surfaceHard (10–5)Clay (3–1)Grass (0–0)Carpet (1–2)
ResultW–LDateTournamentTierSurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreWin1–0Seoul, South KoreaChallengerClay Yoon Yong-Il Fredrik Bergh Patrik Fredriksson6–4, 6–4Win2–0Philippines F2, ManilaFuturesHard Chen Chih-Jung David Caldwell Chris Tontz6–1, 6–4Win3–0China F2, TianjinFuturesHard Yoon Yong-Il Chen Chih-Jung Andrian Raturandang6–1, 5–7, 6–3Loss3–1Canada F3, BouchervilleFuturesHard Yoon Yong-Il Tad Berkowitz Javier Gutierrez-Lima3–6, 6–1, 3–6Win4–1Japan F4, MaishimaFuturesCarpet Yoon Yong-Il Chen Chih-Jung Lin Bing-Chao6–4, 1–4 ret.Loss4–2Kyoto, JapanChallengerCarpet Giorgio Galimberti Julian Knowle Lorenzo Manta1–6, 7–6, 2–6Win5–2Japan F1, IsawaFuturesClay Kevin Kim Mitty Arnold Todd Meringoff6–4, 6–4Loss5–3Korea F1, SeoulFuturesClay Han Min-kyu Chung Hee-Seok Chung Hee-sung4–6, 4–6Win6–3Korea F2, SeoulFuturesClay Kim Dong-Hyun Han Min-kyu Lee Sang-Hoon6–3, 6–4Loss6–4Binghamton, United StatesChallengerHard Kevin Kim Mitch Sprengelmeyer Jason Weir-Smith7–5, 4–6, 2–6Loss6–5Japan F5, KobeFuturesCarpet Danai Udomchoke Tasuku Iwami Ryuso Tsujino5–7, 6–4, 4–6Win7–5Japan F4, FukuokaFuturesHard Yoon Yong-Il Doug Bohaboy Alex Witt6–7(4–7), 7–5, 6–2Win8–5Granby, CanadaChallengerHard Yoon Yong-Il Frédéric Niemeyer Jerry Turek7–6(7–3), 6–3Win9–5Winnetka, United StatesChallengerHard Yoon Yong-Il Matthew Breen Luke Smith2–6, 7–5, 6–3Loss9–6Bronx, United StatesChallengerHard Yoon Yong-Il Petr Luxa Wesley Whitehouse6–3, 3–6, 2–6Win10–6Seoul, South KoreaChallengerHard Alex Kim Alex Bogomolov Jr. Jeff Salzenstein1–6, 6–1, 6–4Win11–6Korea F1, SeogwipoFuturesHard Im Kyu-Tae Chung Hee-Seok Chung Hee-sung7–5, 6–4Win12–6Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamChallengerHard Cecil Mamiit Jacob Adaktusson Dudi Sela6–4, 6–2Loss12–7Korea F3, SeogwipoFuturesHard Chung Hee-Seok Jun Woong-sun Kim Sun-Yong2–6, 0–6Win13–7Korea F1, SeoulFuturesHard Lim Yong-kyu Henrique Cunha Daniel Nguyen6–2, 4–6, [10–4]Loss13–8Seoul, South KoreaChallengerHard Danai Udomchoke Gong Maoxin Peng Hsien-yin4–6, 5–7Win14–8Korea F1, DaeguFuturesHard Hong Seong Chan Nam Jisung Song Min-kyu6–3, 6–3
Performance timelines
Singles Tournament19961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009SRW–LWin%Grand Slam tournamentsAustralian OpenQ1AAQ1Q11RA2R1R1R1R1R2RQ10 / 72–7French OpenAAAAAA1R1R3R3RQ11R2RA0 / 65–6WimbledonAAAAQ21R2R1RQ22R2R3R1RA0 / 75–7US OpenAAQ1Q14R1R1R2R3R1R2R4R1RA0 / 910–9Win–loss0–00–00–00–03–10–31–32–44–33–42–35–42–40–00 / 2922–29Olympic GamesSummer OlympicsANot Held1RNot Held2RNot Held1RNH0 / 31–3ATP Tour Masters 1000Indian WellsAAAAAQ1Q11R1R1RA1R4RA0 / 53–5MiamiAAAAA1RQ14R1R3RA1R1RA0 / 65–6Monte CarloAAAAAAA2RA1RA3R1RA0 / 43–4HamburgAAAAAAA1RAAAAANMS0 / 10–1RomeAAAAAAAAAAAA1RA0 / 10–1CanadaAAAAA1R2R1R1RA2R1RAA0 / 62–6CincinnatiAAAAA2R2R1RAA2RAAA0 / 43–4Win–loss0–00–00–00–00–01–32–24–60–32–32–22–43–40–00 / 2716–27
Doubles Tournament1996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008SRW–LWin%Grand Slam tournamentsAustralian OpenAAAAAAA1R1R2RA1R2R0 / 52–5French OpenAAAAAAA2RA3RA2R2R0 / 45–4WimbledonAAAAAAA1RA1RA1RA0 / 30–3US OpenAAAAAAA2RAAA2RA0 / 22–2Win–loss0–00–00–00–00–00–00–02–40–13–30–02–42–20 / 149–14Olympic GamesSummer Olympics1RNot Held2RNot HeldANot HeldA0 / 21–2
Filmography Television shows Year Title Role Notes 2019-2021 The Gentlemen's League (뭉쳐야 찬다)Cast Member a.k.a (Let's Play Soccer) 2020 King of Mask Singer Contestant as "Oriole" – (episode 273) 2021-2023 The Gentlemen's League 2Cast Membera.k.a (Let's Play Soccer 2) 2022 Can't Cheat Blood Participant 2022–2023 Korea Badminton Cast Member 2023 Tomorrow's Winning Shot Director
References
External links Lee Hyung Taik Tennis Academy
Lee Recent Match Results Lee World Ranking History Korean Men Recent Match Results ATP interview