Thai Tennis Ace Raises a Racket

Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan has been called Michael Chang with power—in the tennis world that's something akin to being called a glider with a jet engine. The comparison might have more to do with the scarcity of Asians among the top tier of professional men's tennis than anything else, but Srichaphan is rapidly ascending higher rungs of the ladder. The 23-year-old Thai shocked the tennis world at Wimbledon when he unseated former champion Andre Agassi, then continued a sizzling streak by winning his first atp (Association of TennisProfessionals) title in August and defeating world number-four ranked Marat Safin last month. 'I surprised everyone—that the player who beat Agassi that day was not European or American, but from Asia and Thailand,' he says. 'I feel like I'm representing not just Thai people but Asian players.' Srichaphan's ascent hit a snag last week, however, witha surprise first-round loss atthe Salem Open in Hong Kong. He dominated long stretches ofthe match with a laserlikeforehand, but his backhand and first serves were oftenerratic. At 1.85 m and 75 kg, Srichaphan's power is an asset and a liability. But he insists he's learning to exert more control over his game. 'I've been playing the same style, but it's more like, hit the ball on the court,' Srichaphan told TIME after his latest match. 'It used to be I would always go for the big shot.' His number 31 ranking already makes him the world's highest-rated Asian male, but Srichaphan is confident he'll soon break into the top 20. It doesn't hurt that he's got plenty of support. Srichaphan's clan is virtually the first family of Asian tennis. His older brothers Naratorn and Thanakorn play professionally and his father Chanchai has coached him since he first picked up a racket at age 6. Srichaphan praises his dad's coaching, but allows that his presence on tour can cut into his social life. 'I don't really go to the clubs when I'm away from home, because I'm staying in a hotel room with my dad.' Well, there's nothing like a little father-son bonding over pay-per-view.