Chin zeroes in on Estonia tie
Published:Thursday | February 2, 2023 | 1:14 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
HAVING JOINED the professional circuit, one of the country’s leading male tennis players, John Chin, is eager to showcase his talent in the upcoming two-day Davis Cup tournament on local soil, set to serve off on Saturday.
Davis, who is still a teenager at 19 years old, is a former top junior player for Middle Tennessee State University. During the 2021-22 season, Davis went undefeated, winning eight straight games before graduating to the senior ranks and therefore the ATP Tour. Now, Chin intends to also play with Boise State University (BSU), where he expects the environment to create more opportunities for him.
“I am looking to train with the Boise State men’s tennis team. I want to make an impact on the team and to help BSU reach our goals for the 2023 spring season and beyond. BSU’s head coach, Luke Shields, and assistant coach, Alexander Free, both have excellent reputations as coaches, and I expect to do well under their tutelage,” said Chin.
The transition from amateur to professional is not the easiest to make, but Chin is relishing the challenge.
“The transition from the junior circuit to the pro circuit is definitely a step up in the skill set. It is very challenging, but I will continue to work on my game and, hopefully, improve my rankings this year,” he said.
Despite still being relatively young, Davis has twice represented Jamaica at the Davis Cup and is only one of three male players ranked on the ATP tour alongside the duo of Blaise Bicknell and Rowland Phillips.
He believes his two previous outings at the Davis Cup could provide some benefits.
“My first time playing Davis Cup for Jamaica, we lost. My second time, we qualified for Group 2, so I would like Jamaica to go even further. We always want to get better each time and put in the work to get better,” said Chin.
“A successful 2023 Davis Cup would be beating Estonia at home and then going on to win the rest of our ties during the year to qualify for Group 1. We have a strong team and we are prepared.”